Benefits of Reactive Maintenance vs Drawbacks of Reactive Maintenance

When something breaks, you fix it. Simple.

Reactive maintenance is often seen as the most straightforward approach to property upkeep. A fault occurs, a call is logged, an engineer attends, the issue is resolved. No long-term forecasting, no scheduled servicing calendar, no upfront investment in preventative works. On the surface, it feels efficient and cost-effective.

But is it?

Understanding the Benefits of Reactive Maintenance alongside the Disadvantages of Reactive Maintenance is essential for any property manager, landlord, or asset owner looking to balance cost, risk and operational performance.

What Is Reactive Maintenance?

Reactive maintenance, sometimes called breakdown maintenance, is exactly what it sounds like. Action is taken only once a fault has occurred. A boiler fails, a leak appears, lighting goes out, access control stops working. The response begins when the problem becomes visible.

For some properties and asset types, this approach can make sense. For others, it can quietly introduce risk.

The Benefits of Reactive Maintenance

Let’s start with the positives.

1. Lower Upfront Costs

One of the primary Benefits of Reactive Maintenance is reduced initial expenditure. There are no routine servicing costs, no planned inspections, and no long-term contracts for preventative works. You pay only when something goes wrong.

For low-risk assets or non-critical systems, this can be a pragmatic decision.

2. Simple Budgeting Structure

Reactive maintenance can appear easier to manage financially in the short term. Costs are tied directly to faults, meaning expenditure is event-driven rather than forecast-driven.

For smaller portfolios, this simplicity can be appealing.

3. Minimal Administrative Oversight

Without a planned maintenance schedule, there is less need for asset tracking, lifecycle forecasting, and compliance calendar management. In theory, it reduces administrative load.

However, theory and reality do not always align.

The Disadvantages of Reactive Maintenance

Here is where the picture changes.

1. Higher Long-Term Costs

While reactive maintenance may reduce upfront spend, the Disadvantages of Reactive Maintenance often reveal themselves over time. Emergency call-outs, expedited parts, and urgent labour rates typically cost more than planned servicing.

Small faults left unchecked frequently escalate into larger, more expensive failures.

2. Increased Downtime

Breakdowns rarely happen at convenient times. A failed HVAC system in peak summer, a power issue during trading hours, or a plumbing fault in a tenanted building can quickly disrupt operations.

Downtime impacts tenants, customers and reputation, not just repair budgets.

3. Greater Risk Exposure

In commercial and residential portfolios alike, certain systems are compliance-critical. Fire alarms, emergency lighting, gas systems and electrical infrastructure cannot simply be left until failure.

Reactive-only strategies in these areas increase legal and safety risk, particularly in regulated environments.

4. Shortened Asset Lifespan

Planned preventative maintenance extends the life of plant and equipment. Reactive approaches, by contrast, often mean components operate under strain until failure occurs. Over time, this can reduce overall asset lifespan and accelerate capital replacement cycles.

Finding the Right Balance

The debate between the Benefits of Reactive Maintenance and the Disadvantages of Reactive Maintenance is not black and white.

In reality, most well-managed portfolios adopt a blended strategy. Non-critical, low-value assets may sit within a reactive model, while core infrastructure operates under a structured planned preventative maintenance programme.

The key is visibility. Knowing which assets can safely remain reactive, and which require proactive oversight.

At AM Planned Maintenance, we work with property managers and asset owners across England to design maintenance strategies that balance cost control with operational resilience. Reactive support remains a crucial part of what we do, but it is delivered within a wider framework that protects compliance, performance and long-term value.

Because fixing things when they break is sometimes necessary.

But preventing them from breaking in the first place is often smarter.