Every now and then, we come across an Owner that wants to do his or her own maintenance on the unit or has a neighbor who is handy and wants him to do the work. The big problem a property manager in Nevada has with that has to do with the law and the risks associated with the work needing to be done. Nevada law requires that if a home is being prepared for sale or lease and the repairs are in excess of $1000, then a contractor licensed with the Nevada State Contractor's Board be used for this repairs.
Minor repairs or services such as changing HVAC filters, or cleaning the pool filters do not rise the level where a contractor is required. However, our experience has shown that the tenant really doesn't want the owner to be at the property on a regular basis. The tenant is paying to lease the property and in doing so enjoys the bundle of rights that come with the property, the most important being the "quiet enjoyment" of the property. Owner repairmen tend to decide when the maintenance is performed over the tenant's objection and then the phone calls to management start. Repairmen hired by the management company are much more likely to due the work when it is convenient to the tenant and thereby avoiding any conflict.
Many tenants who lease an "owner maintained" unit do not renew the lease. The savings expected from the "do it yourself" maintainer is lost because of the tenant turnaround costs. Property managers can save you money on maintenance costs because of the volume discounts they receive and also on tenant turnaround time.