Most property managers understand that when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request, they must respond swiftly. However, which maintenance requests are emergencies, necessitating immediate attention, and which are less critical? This is one of the most difficult concerns that property owners must address because certain issues, even those resulting in suffering or difficulties, are not actual emergencies. In contrast, other maintenance issues are serious enough to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. Recognizing the distinction between the two allows you to successfully 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 or not is to examine to what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or endanger your resident’s health and safety. Any issue that meets this criterion is often considered an emergency. Typical 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
It is critical to recognize that certain maintenance items may be emergencies under one set of circumstances but not another. For instance, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency in the wintertime. However, it definitely is during a heatwave, where temperatures reach dangerous levels.
Failure to respond immediately to emergencies such as these – even those that happen in the middle of the night – could violate habitability laws and, ultimately, result in serious legal trouble. This is particularly the case if your delay prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and organize or make the repairs themselves.
Non-Emergency Maintenance Types
On the flip side, other maintenance issues that, while uncomfortable, are not often classified as emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For instance, a malfunctioning appliance, no hot water, or tiny leaks may be troublesome for your residents but typically do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues must be reported as regular maintenance requests, which you can address during business hours.
For rental property owners, understanding what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is an important aspect of good property management. If you are unable to reply quickly to such requests or have other time constraints, it may be time to hire a quality property management company servicing the Viera area and surrounding areas. Contact us online or call 321-610-8022 to find out more about what Real Property Management Brevard provides rental property owners like you.
Originally Published on July 2, 2021
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
