Ask about reliability and maintenance requirements. Manufacturers' Sales Literature. While some may consider this source of information less objective, most leading manufacturers publish sales material that includes in-depth information on product features, programs, benefits and specifications. This is a good way to compare and contrast products. In the end, the image conveyed by a multi-family residential property that equips a fitness center with leading brands of equipment will support the property's leasing efforts.
Residential equipment is likely to break prematurely and frequently in apartment fitness centers.
The impact nonfunctioning equipment exerts on lease renewal efforts, and the pressure broken equipment imposes on maintenance departments, can be quite onerous. Residential equipment does not carry manufacturers' warranties in apartment fitness center settings, so costs of repairs will most likely be borne entirely by the property manager, even when equipment is new. Residential equipment that does not carry a commercial warranty exposes a property manager to the risk of adverse legal action if a user is injured while using the piece. Residential equipment is typically much smaller than commercial equipment and offers fewer features and programs. All too often property managers succumb to cost pressures and representations by fitness equipment distributors that products designed for residential use are adequate for apartment complex fitness centers.