Essential Commercial Property Maintenance Checklist for Secure and Efficient Buildings

Developing and designing the perfect space for your community is only half the battle. Once people start using your building for its intended purpose, the challenge becomes keeping it perfect.

Regular maintenance is the answer. By proactively upkeeping your building, you can curate the best possible experience today and avoid hefty bills tomorrow.

Of course, before you can start doing upgrades and making repairs, you need to know what needs work. Luckily, we’re here to help with this simplified commercial property maintenance checklist.

Why a Commercial Property Maintenance Checklist is Important

Why even bother making a property maintenance checklist? Can’t you just fix things whenever they need fixing?

Unfortunately, a reactive approach comes with problems—namely, unhappy guests, staff, or tenants.

By creating and adhering to a commercial property maintenance checklist, you can:

Protect property value – If you neglect maintenance and repairs, the value of your building can depreciate. Regular upkeep not only safeguards your investment but may also help it grow by extending the life of your business assets.
Ensure safety and compliance – Leave essential maintenance long enough, and you risk creating an unsafe space. Inspectors may fine you for not meeting regulatory requirements, and patrons could even get hurt.
Prevent costly repairs – In general, frequent minor repairs will run you far less than a major repair after something breaks.

Key Areas to Include in a Commercial Property Maintenance Checklist

So, a maintenance checklist is essential. But what should your list include?

To make organization simpler, we suggest splitting your checklist into five categories:

Exterior maintenance
Interior maintenance
Security and access control
Fire safety systems
Energy efficiency and sustainability

Let’s take a closer look at each.

Exterior Maintenance

Because the outside of your building will be every visitor’s first impression, we’ll start there. Maintaining a secure building envelope—the physical barrier that separates the inside from the elements—is vital to protecting all your interior investments.

As such, you’ll want to keep your doors, windows, and other entry points in tip-top shape. Check these spots for wear and tear caused by frequent movement, then apply lubricants or tighten components as needed. Additionally, the roof and general landscaping should also be addressed.

If your property has a parking lot, you’ll also need to care for the:

Pavement
Paint
Lighting

Interior Maintenance

Inside the building, your list should cover regular checks on:

HVAC systems
Plumbing system
Electrical fixtures
Appliances (if applicable)

From a safety and functionality standpoint, you’ll also have to perform routine inspections on the floors, elevators, and stairwells. Look for uneven surfaces or cracks that could present a tripping hazard, and ensure the elevator doors are opening and closing safely.

Security and Access Control

Your next category concerns the passage between the exterior and the exterior: building security. Once you’ve installed a state-of-the-art security system, you need to keep it functioning at full capacity.

The first item on your checklist should be frequent testing of your access control systems and smart locks. Every security product has a different process for testing, but in general, you should check what happens when you input the correct credentials—and what happens when you put in the wrong ones.

From there, check your video intercom systems, security cameras, and alarm systems. Make sure cameras are pointing in the proper direction and recording (ideally with a backup), and test that alarm systems go off when you cross the threshold.

Fire Safety Systems

If security systems prevent incidents, fire safety systems protect people when the unexpected occurs. With that in mind, it’s crucial to test fire alarm and suppression systems often.

In some places, the law requires you to test your fire alarm system once per year. However, for improved safety, we recommend inspecting fire extinguishers, sprinklers, and emergency exits at least once a month.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should also receive a regular checkup. Use the built-in “test” button to confirm these devices are operational and replace batteries as needed.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

For the final category of your checklist, write down all appliances and devices that consume power, then monitor their energy usage. If your electricity consumption seems higher than expected, you may need to upgrade to smart technology.

You can also proactively reduce your utility bills by implementing energy-saving solutions for your lighting and HVAC systems. For example, you can:

Switch to LED bulbs
Install occupancy sensors
Use smart thermostats
Improve building insulation

Seasonal Commercial Property Maintenance Tasks

While many maintenance responsibilities exist year-round, some are month- or weather-dependent. Your checklist in June could be unrecognizable from your checklist in December.

To help you anticipate the changes in maintenance requirements throughout the year, we’re breaking down the differences between warm- and cold-weather tasks.

Spring and Summer

As the weather warms and the rain clouds dry up, your focus should turn to outdoor tasks.

For instance, spring is the perfect time to attend to landscaping. Many fan-favorite flowers and shrubs need to be planted in early spring, and the milder weather makes it more comfortable for crews to work.

Spring is also the season to complete any air conditioning maintenance—before the mercury rises and your visitors need it.

Once summer rolls around, turn your attention to the roof. If it needs any repairs, you can count on having consecutive dry days to complete the necessary work.

Fall and Winter

When the days get shorter, it’s time to focus on inside tasks. Fall and winter offer the ultimate opportunity to maintain interior walls, floors, appliances, and smart access systems.

Of course, there are also cold-specific duties—especially if you live somewhere with extreme weather. To combat snow and ice, add the following tasks to your maintenance to-do list:

Heating system checks
Snow removal plans
Pipe insulation

Building a Routine Commercial Property Maintenance Schedule

Now, you have all the ingredients for a foolproof maintenance checklist. But how do you decide when to perform each task? Some parts of the property need frequent attention, while others can wait months between checkups.

As you structure your checklist, separate tasks by frequency. Here’s how to build an ideal commercial property maintenance schedule.

Monthly, Quarterly, and Annual Tasks

While your specific needs will vary based on your business, the age of the building, and its features, you can generally split tasks into three segments:

Monthly tasks – Jobs to do every month include testing the fire systems, inspecting the building envelope, and assessing security systems.
Quarterly tasks – Duties you can do every quarter include checking the plumbing and HVAC systems, testing the elevators, and maintaining the parking lot.
Annual tasks – Once per year, you can check appliances for energy efficiency, create a snow removal plan, and inspect the roof.

Hiring Professional Maintenance Services

In most cases, you and your team should be able to handle these tasks. However, some situations require specialized contractors and inspectors to solve the problem.

You may want to hire a professional maintenance team if:

There’s a major breakdown
You have an inspection coming up
You were recently fined or sued
There’s a serious safety concern that can’t wait

How myQ Enhances Commercial Property Security and Maintenance

Whether you turn to professionals or do it all yourself, one thing is for sure: The right tech makes everything easier.

With access control technology and remote property management solutions from myQ Community, you can easily identify which areas need work, keep your property compliant, and ensure your guests are safe.

To learn more about integrating smart technology to streamline maintenance efforts, explore all myQ | LiftMaster commercial access control solutions today.

October 29, 2025