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What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.It is widely familiar among property managers that immediate responses are vital when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request. However, which maintenance requests are emergencies that mandate immediate attention, and which are less emergency? This represents a particularly difficult scenario for property owners, as certain problems, despite leading to distress or inconvenience, do not qualify as true emergencies. On the flip side, other maintenance issues are serious enough to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. Distinguishing the difference between the two empowers you to excellently handle all your renter’s maintenance requests.

What defines an emergency repair?

One way to know when you have a true emergency on your hand is to assess to what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or pose a danger to the resident’s health and safety. Any problems that align with this description would usually be considered an emergency. Typical emergencies consist of:

  • 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 vital to comprehend that certain maintenance items may be emergencies contingent upon the context and scenarios present. For illustration, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency in cold weather. Yet, it is unquestionably during a heatwave where temperatures reach dangerous levels.

Negation to respond immediately to emergencies like these – including those that develop during nighttime hours – could violate habitability laws and, in the long run, cause serious legal trouble. This situation becomes especially true when your lack of action prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and manage or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

However, other maintenance issues that, although challenging, typically do not meet the requirements of emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For instance, a malfunctioning appliance, lack of hot water, or minimal leaks may be troublesome for your residents but normally do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues ought to be reported as regular maintenance requests, which can be executed during business hours.

For rental property owners, being aware of what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is important for efficient property management. Should you find it complicated to manage such requests promptly or have competing priorities, it may be a smart move to hire a quality property management company servicing the Plainfield area and its neighborhood. To get more information regarding the amenities that Real Property Management Crossroads delivers to rental property owners, please Contact us online or call 317-218-7800.

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