MA The Maintenance Academy Maintenance 215 · Black Boots Initiative · shared with Foundational Fundamentals

General construction Company plans

Property Maintenance Technician

10 weeks · 22 lessons · 9 section tests · 10 written questions · final exam · 16 hands-on skills

Built for maintenance teams at apartment communities and managed properties, with the skills a technician uses every day, and reviewed by licensed tradespeople.

Included with company plans

This course is part of The Maintenance Academy's company plans from Maintenance 215. Teams get seats, a progress dashboard and certificates.

What you will be able to do

  • Work safely, lock out circuits, and know where maintenance work ends and licensed work begins.
  • Repair outlets, switches, GFCIs and fixtures; install and test smoke and CO alarms.
  • Fix toilets, faucets, drains and leaks; handle water heaters and shutoffs.
  • Answer no-heat and no-cool calls, including steam and hot-water heat in older buildings, PTACs and mini-splits.
  • Diagnose kitchen and laundry appliances.
  • Patch drywall, paint, adjust doors and fire doors, rekey locks, and keep exteriors and grounds safe.
  • Turn vacant units fast, run preventive maintenance, prioritize emergencies, and follow fair housing and lead-safe (EPA RRP) rules.

How the course works

Lessons and check questions online, a test at the end of each section, and a final exam drawn from every section (80% to pass). Hands-on skills are signed off by an Academy instructor on your property or in the shop and listed on your certificate.

A note on credentials

This course is not affiliated with or accredited by the National Apartment Association and is not the CAMT credential. It is not EPA 608 or EPA RRP certification, which come from their own exams and courses. Licensed work (new electrical, gas, water heaters and refrigerant) belongs to licensed professionals and needs permits.

Course outline

  1. Week 1

    Welcome to Property Maintenance

    The maintenance technician's job, tools, and safety.

    1. The maintenance technician's job Video 30 min
    2. Safety and the maintenance cart Video 30 min
    3. Section test (5 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  2. Week 2

    Electrical Maintenance and Repair

    Outlets, switches, GFCIs and fixtures; smoke and CO alarms; breakers and when to call an electrician.

    1. Outlets, switches, GFCIs and fixtures Video 35 min
    2. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms Video 30 min
    3. Breakers, circuits and when to call an electrician Video 25 min
    4. Section test (7 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  3. Week 3

    Plumbing Maintenance and Repair

    Toilets, faucets and drains; leaks, shutoffs and water heaters.

    1. Toilets, faucets and drains Video 35 min
    2. Leaks, shutoffs and water heaters Video 35 min
    3. Section test (6 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  4. Week 4

    Heating Systems

    No-heat calls, carbon monoxide safety, and steam and hot-water heat in older buildings.

    1. No-heat calls Video 30 min
    2. Carbon monoxide and safety Video 30 min
    3. Steam and hot-water heat in older buildings Video 30 min
    4. Section test (5 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  5. Week 5

    Air Conditioning

    No-cool calls and preventive care; window units, PTACs and mini-splits.

    1. No-cool calls and preventive care Video 30 min
    2. Window units, PTACs and mini-splits Video 30 min
    3. Section test (5 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  6. Week 6

    Appliance Maintenance and Repair

    Refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers, washers and dryers.

    1. Kitchen appliances Video 35 min
    2. Laundry appliances Video 30 min
    3. Section test (6 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  7. Weeks 7-8

    Interior and Exterior Maintenance

    Drywall, paint, doors and floors; locks and unit security; exterior and grounds.

    1. Drywall, paint, doors and floors Video 35 min
    2. Locks, keys and unit security Video 25 min
    3. Exterior and grounds Video 30 min
    4. Section test (6 questions)
    5. Written answers (1 question)
  8. Week 9

    Make-Ready and Preventive Maintenance

    Turning a vacant unit, and running a preventive maintenance program.

    1. Make-ready: turning a vacant unit Video 30 min
    2. Preventive maintenance programs Video 30 min
    3. Section test (5 questions)
    4. Written answers (1 question)
  9. Week 10

    Work Orders, Emergencies and Compliance

    Prioritizing work orders and emergencies, fair housing and respect, and lead-safe work in older housing.

    1. Prioritizing work orders and emergencies Video 30 min
    2. Compliance and respect Video 30 min
    3. Lead-safe work in older housing Video 35 min
    4. Section test (7 questions)
    5. Written answers (2 questions)

  10. Final exam

    50 questions from every section, 80% to pass.

    1. Final exam

Hands-on skills

Show these to a Maintenance Academy instructor on a job site or in the shop. Each one they sign off appears on your certificate as a verified skill.

    1. Lock out a circuit and verify it's dead
      Identifies the breaker, turns it off, applies a lock or tag per policy, and proves the circuit dead with a tester checked on a live outlet before and after.
    2. Replace a receptacle and a GFCI
      Wires hot to brass, neutral to silver and ground to green with no back-stabs; installs a GFCI with LINE and LOAD correct; tests with a plug-in tester and the test button.
    3. Replace a single-pole and a three-way switch
      Identifies and marks the common on a three-way, transfers wires correctly, and proves operation from both locations.
    4. Install and test smoke and CO alarms
      Places alarms in the required locations, connects a hardwired interconnected alarm correctly (power off), tests them, and records the date.
    5. Rebuild a toilet tank and reset a toilet
      Replaces the flapper and fill valve and sets the water level; pulls and resets a toilet with a new seal and bolts, level and leak-free.
    6. Repair a faucet
      Identifies the faucet type, replaces the cartridge or washers and O-rings, and confirms no leaks and correct hot/cold.
    7. Clear sink, tub and toilet clogs
      Uses the plunger, trap cleaning and a hand or closet auger correctly with gloves and eye protection, without chemical drain cleaners.
    8. Respond to a no-heat call
      Checks thermostat, power, filter, error code and condensate trap; cleans a flame sensor safely; documents what was found and when to escalate to HVAC.
    9. Bleed a hydronic radiator and check a steam radiator
      Bleeds air until water appears; checks a one-pipe steam radiator's valve position, pitch and air vent.
    10. Clear an AC condensate drain and change filters
      Clears the drain line, confirms flow and the float switch reset, and installs the correct filter in the right direction, dated.
    11. Diagnose a refrigerator not cooling
      Checks temperatures, condenser coils and fan, evaporator fan and frost pattern, and identifies the likely failed part or the need for an EPA 608 technician.
    12. Inspect and clean a dryer vent and check dryer heat
      Confirms an approved metal vent within length limits, cleans it, checks the exterior damper, and tests the thermal fuse and element with power off.
    13. Patch drywall and spot-prime
      Repairs a small and a medium hole with appropriate methods and three thin coats, sands, and spot-primes ready for paint (using lead-safe practices where needed).
    14. Adjust a sticking door and a fire door closer
      Tightens hinges with long screws, adjusts the strike, and adjusts a closer so a fire-rated door self-closes and latches.
    15. Rekey a lock cylinder
      Removes the cylinder, rekeys to a new key with the correct pins, reinstalls and tests, and records the change in the key log.
    16. Complete a make-ready final inspection
      Uses the checklist to test every device, fixture, appliance, alarm and lock, documents with photos, and lists any remaining work.