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What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.Most property managers understand the importance of responding promptly when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request. But which maintenance requests are emergencies that demand immediate attention, and which are not as pressing? This is one of the more complex dilemmas that property owners encounter, as certain issues, even if they lead to difficulty or inconvenience, are not true emergencies. Conversely, other maintenance issues are severe enough to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. Learning about the distinction between the two will empower you to effectively 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 consider to what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or jeopardize your resident’s health and safety. Any situation that fits this description would usually be 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 vital to comprehend that certain maintenance items may be emergencies under one scenario but not another. For example, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency when the weather is cool. However, it truly is throughout a heatwave when temperatures reach dangerous levels.

Disregarding to respond immediately to emergencies like these – including those that arise during the night – could violate habitability laws and potentially result in serious legal trouble. This becomes particularly relevant when your lack of action prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and handle or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

Conversely, other maintenance issues that, although bothersome, do not typically qualify as emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For illustration, a malfunctioning appliance, lack of hot water, or tiny drips may be troublesome for your residents but typically do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues need to be reported as regular maintenance requests, which you can address during business hours.

For rental property owners, recognizing what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is essential to successful property management. Suppose you’re finding it challenging to respond to such requests promptly or have other commitments taking up your time. In that case, it might be ideal to hire a quality property management company servicing the Wentzville area and nearby. Contact us online or call 636-542-8852 to learn more about what Real Property Management Three Bridges offers rental property owners like you.

Originally Published on July 2, 2021

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