Definition
Maintenance that's postponed to save money now, usually leading to bigger, costlier repairs later.
Deferred maintenance is upkeep that gets put off — often to keep dues low or avoid a near-term expense. The problem is that the need doesn't go away; postponed maintenance usually turns a small, cheap fix into a large, expensive one.
Chronic deferral erodes property values and drains reserves when the bills finally come due, sometimes as a special assessment. A proactive maintenance plan and adequate reserve funding are the antidotes, keeping small issues small and spending predictable.