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What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.When a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request, the majority of property managers comprehend that they must reply right away. The question is, which maintenance requests are emergencies that need immediate attention, and which ones can wait? This is a difficult topic for property owners to answer because not all problems, no matter how annoying or troublesome, are emergencies. On the flip side, other maintenance issues are enough of a threat to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. With this knowledge in hand, you’ll be more equipped to confidently handle all your renter’s maintenance requests.

What defines an emergency repair?

One way to know when you have a true emergency on your hands is to think about what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or threaten your resident’s health and safety. Any issue that would meet this criteria would typically be considered an emergency. Common emergencies include:

  • Gas Leak
  • Frozen or Broken Water Lines
  • Flooding or Water Emergencies
  • Fire
  • Carbon Monoxide Detection
  • Sewer Back-up
  • No Heat in Cold Weather
  • No Air Conditioning in Extremely Hot Temperatures
  • Extended Power Outage
  • Intruder Break-In

Determining an Emergency from Non-Emergency

Realize that certain maintenance items may be emergencies in one scenario but not another. Having a broken air conditioner, for instance, is not an emergency when the temperature is chilly. But it unquestionably is amidst a heatwave where temperatures reach dangerous levels.

If you do not respond immediately to emergencies such as events, even if they happen during the night, you could violate habitability laws and, in due course, cause serious legal trouble. This is particularly true if your lack of action prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and set up or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

However, there are other maintenance issues that, although irritating, are not usually considered emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For instance, a malfunctioning appliance, no hot water, or minor water intrusion may be troublesome for your residents but generally do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues must be reported as regular maintenance requests, which you can undertake during business hours.

For rental property owners, knowing what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is an important aspect of great property management. If you are unable to reply promptly to such inquiries or have other demands on your time, it might be best to hire a quality property management company servicing the Maitland area and the vicinity. Contact us online or call 407-681-7802 for more information about what Real Property Management Vanguard offers rental property owners like you.

Originally Published on July 2, 2021

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