Knowledge Base
Property Maintenance Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms that show up in property maintenance quotes, inspections, and repair reports. Written for owners, landlords, and community managers.
- Skirting
- The panels that enclose the space between the bottom of a manufactured home and the ground. Skirting keeps out pests and wind, insulates plumbing, and improves curb appeal. Common materials are vinyl, metal, and faux stone.
- Tie-downs (Anchors)
- Steel straps and ground anchors that secure a manufactured home to the ground. Michigan requires tie-downs on manufactured homes to resist wind and seismic loads.
- Vapor barrier
- A plastic sheet installed on the ground under a manufactured home before skirting goes on. It prevents ground moisture from wicking up and rotting floors, plumbing, and insulation.
- Lot turn
- The process of preparing a manufactured home lot for a new tenant or a new home — clearing debris, leveling, capping utilities, and general site prep.
- Make-ready (Turnover)
- The full package of work a rental property needs between tenants: cleanout, paint, repairs, fixture replacement, and final cleaning so the unit is rent-ready.
- Punch list
- A checklist of small repairs and finish items to complete before a rental is handed off to a new tenant or a project is closed out.
- P-trap
- The U-shaped section of drain pipe under a sink that holds water and blocks sewer gas from entering the home. Required by code on every fixture drain.
- PEX
- Flexible plastic tubing used for water supply lines. PEX is freeze-tolerant, easy to install, and standard in most modern manufactured home and rental plumbing.
- Shut-off valve (Stop)
- A small valve at each fixture supply line that lets you shut off water to just that fixture without killing the whole house. Quarter-turn stops are the modern standard.
- GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter)
- An outlet that trips instantly when it detects current leaking to ground — required by code near sinks, in bathrooms, kitchens, garages, and outdoors.
- Load center (Panel)
- The main electrical distribution box for a home, holding the main breaker and branch-circuit breakers. Manufactured homes typically use a 100–200 amp panel.
- Fascia
- The horizontal board that runs along the roof edge, capping the ends of the rafters. Fascia holds the gutter and is a common exterior repair item on older homes.
- Soffit
- The underside of a roof overhang, usually vented to let attic air circulate. Damaged soffits are an easy entry point for wildlife.
- Ledger board
- The board that attaches a deck to a house wall. Failed or poorly flashed ledger boards are the leading cause of deck collapses.
- Stringer (Stair)
- The angled structural board that supports the treads and risers of a stair. Rotted stringers make stairs unsafe and require full replacement.
- Handrail
- The grabbable rail alongside stairs or a porch. Michigan and IRC code require handrails on stairs with four or more risers, at 34–38 inches above the tread nosing.
- Common area
- Parts of a manufactured home community, HOA, or multifamily property owned or maintained by the operator — not by an individual resident. Includes lot lines, roads, mailboxes, playgrounds, and shared landscaping.
- Preventive maintenance
- Scheduled inspections and small repairs designed to catch problems early — before they become emergencies. Common items: gutter cleanouts, skirting checks, seasonal HVAC, and safety-item inspections.
- Certificate of Insurance (COI)
- A one-page document showing a contractor's active insurance coverage. Reputable property managers require a current COI before letting a contractor onto a property.
- Rent-ready
- A rental unit that has passed its make-ready checklist — clean, painted, repaired, and safe — and is ready for a new tenant to move in.
Have a term you'd like defined?
Send it over — we'll add it to the glossary and answer your question in the meantime.