Building maintenance until recently has been a neglected and resented field of knowledge, as reflected in most of our schools and governmental policy formulation and execution. This ugly scenario is evidenced in the maintenance execution on hostel buildings in Federal Polytechnic, Oko. The study is focused on the assessment of factors affecting effective hostel maintenance in Federal Polytechnic, Oko. It evaluated the operational state of maintenance (physical-functional condition) of public and private hostel buildings in the study area, articulated the factors affecting maintenance management of public and private hostel buildings in the study area. The data collected were analysed using simple percentage and inferential statistics. The analysis revealed that the operational state of hostel maintenance in Federal Polytechnic Oko is poor. There is a significant difference between the perception of hostellers and developers as to the operational state of maintenance. Two hundred and seventy five questionnaires administered to a targeted population were returned out of the total number of three hundred and forty eight administered to Hostel occupants, students and heads of maintenance management in the polytechnic and private developers. The method of analysis for the study is a simple percentage and inferential statistical tool for the analysis of data. Data analysis indicated that, maintenance is carried out whenever a fault is detected within the building after a protracted period of abandonment and complaint by users. This situation has made hostellers complacent in maintenance management.  The research in conclusion recommends proactive measures to keep identified key factors affecting effective maintenance of hostel in Federal Polytechnic Oko in check for improved maintenance culture and ensure upbeat approaches to maintenance such as planned maintenance for a predetermined schedule, most significantly on the side of the developers but not neglecting students. 

Keywords: Oko-Nigeria, federal polytechnic, hostel maintenance, inferential statistics, planned maintenance.