A good service agreement tells you what happens when a dishwasher quits at 11 PM in unit 14: who shows up, how fast, who pays for the part, and how long the tenant waits. Without that in writing, you’re running on goodwill, and goodwill doesn’t hold when a tenant files a habitability complaint.
Here’s what to read for before you sign.
The response window, in a real number
This is the clause most vendors keep vague. “Prompt service” is filler. What you want is a defined window: same-day or next-day dispatch for occupied units, with a clear path when the first tech can’t make it. If a vendor won’t put a number on paper, that’s your answer about how they’ll perform the day you have five units down at once.
Every appliance category, listed by name
Don’t assume “all appliances” means what you think. List the categories: refrigerators, washers, dryers, dishwashers, ranges, ovens, disposals. Plenty of managers get burned when a wall oven fails and the vendor calls it a separate line item because nobody wrote it down. For multi-unit buildings, spell out in-unit versus owner-supplied versus tenant-supplied, and name any common-area machines or HVAC the vendor is on the hook for. The more specific, the fewer arguments later.
Warranty on parts and labor
A repair is only as good as what stands behind it. Get the terms in writing before you sign. Some shops floor it at 30 days labor and 90 days parts, others go 90 on both, longer on major components. There’s no universal number, so ask for theirs.
Know the split between the manufacturer’s parts warranty (which the tech passes through) and the vendor’s own labor guarantee. If a drain pump fails two months after it went in, who covers the return trip? That belongs in the contract, not in a friendly phone call.
Billing you can actually budget
You need to know whether you’re paying per visit, per hour, or off a flat-rate schedule. Flat rate is easier to plan against. Time-and-materials is fine if the vendor is honest, but you want the diagnostic fee and rate structure spelled out up front, and a price after the diagnosis, not a surprise invoice after the work. For high-volume accounts, ask about priority pricing or a monthly retainer. Either way, get it in writing: diagnostic fee, trip charge, what a second visit costs, how parts markups work.
License and insurance, verified
Check the license before you finalize anything. In California, HVAC work needs a C-20 license. Appliance repair runs under different rules, but any legitimate shop carries general liability and workers’ comp. Ask for a certificate of insurance naming your management company as an additional insured. If they can’t produce it, walk. If a tech floods a unit or gets hurt on your property, your carrier will want to know the vendor was covered.
A paper trail on every visit
Good vendors hand you documentation without being asked: written work orders, diagnostic notes, parts used with model and serial numbers, and the warranty that applies to each repair. That trail is what settles a tenant dispute or tells you whether a unit’s appliances are worth continuing to fix. Ask how they communicate. Do job summaries land in your inbox after each visit, or do you chase them for records? On a big account, a consistent format saves real admin hours.
Real agreement versus handshake
The difference is specificity. A handshake works while the relationship stays friendly. A written agreement works when it doesn’t. Look for defined response windows, warranty on parts and labor, a named scope of equipment, billing spelled out before work starts, proof of license and insurance, and a process for disputes. A two-paragraph “agreement” with none of that is a letter of intent with no teeth.
When to change vendors
If your current shop can’t hit basic response times, won’t provide written work orders, or can’t show a current certificate of insurance, those things don’t improve with time. A reliable vendor is worth a little effort to find at the start.
For Bay Area properties, Bay Area Appliance Repair Service handles appliance repair for residential and commercial accounts, every major brand from Samsung and LG to Whirlpool, GE, and Bosch, with a written work order on every job. Heating and cooling is handled by our sister brand, Bay Area HVAC Service. Schedule a visit at (925) 999-4095. The $75 diagnostic is credited to the repair.