Almost all Maitland property managers are aware that you need to respond immediately when a tenant calls with an emergency maintenance request. But which maintenance requests are emergencies, needing urgent attention, and which are less urgent? This is one of the more challenging questions that property owners deal with since other concerns, even ones that bring distress or problems, are not true emergencies. However, some maintenance issues are serious enough to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability code. Recognizing the difference between the two can assist you in managing all of your tenant’s maintenance requests without any doubt.
Defining Emergency Repairs
One way to find out when you have a true emergency on your hands or not is to examine to what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, serious property damage, or threaten your tenant’s health and safety. Any issue that would meet this definition 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
Is It An Emergency? It Depends.
It is vital to know that certain maintenance items may be emergencies under one set of conditions but not another. For example, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency in winter weather. But in a heatwave, where temperatures exceed hazardous stages, it is definitely necessary. Failing to respond immediately to emergencies like these – including those that occur in the middle of the night – could violate habitability laws and, sooner or later, be the cause of serious legal trouble. This is especially true if your inaction prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and coordinate or make the repairs themselves.
Non-Emergency Maintenance Types
On the flip side, some maintenance issues that, even though stressful, are not mostly considered emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. Let’s say a malfunctioning appliance, no hot water, or minor leaks may be annoying for your tenant but commonly do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These varieties of maintenance issues must be categorized as regular maintenance requests, which you can manage during business hours.
For rental property owners, determining what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is an important aspect of good property management. If you feel that you can’t immediately respond to such requests or have other demands on your time, it might be suitable to hire a quality Maitland property management company to do it for you. To learn more about what Real Property Management Vanguard offers rental property owners like you, contact us online.
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