A building exists to serve the user's space requirement. The essence of maintenance is, therefore, to maximize the service life of a building, by delaying deterioration, decay and failure. Building maintenance management is a complex and multi-faceted thought process that involves planning, directing, controlling and organizing resources for the sustenance of the building's functional performance. The purpose of this paper is to propose an alternative maintenance management model for university buildings in Malaysia. A number of studies have investigated the maintenance management of buildings; however, most of the studies have observed maintenance management procedures that were corrective and condition-based. Although this research is specifically proposed for university buildings, however, many public and private sector institutions face similar maintenance management problems. Therefore, this research has broader applications. This research emerged from the need for an alternative building maintenance management system that reflects current thinking on the efficient and effective use of maintenance resources. © 2010 Macmillan Publishers Ltd.