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What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.It is broadly known among property managers that an immediate response is imperative when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request. However, which maintenance requests are emergencies that need immediate attention, and which ones can be addressed with less urgency? This is one of the more challenging inquiries that property owners tackle, as certain matters, e despite inducing uneasiness or inopportuneness, are not true emergencies. Alternatively, other maintenance issues are dangerous enough to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. Familiarizing with the difference between the two can help you positively 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 lay on the line your resident’s health and safety. Any matter that would meet this definition would generally be considered an emergency. Common emergencies encompass:

  • 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 imperative to recognize that certain maintenance items may be emergencies in one context while remaining non-urgent in another. For example, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency in cooler climate. But it undeniably is amidst a heatwave where temperatures reach dangerous levels.

Failing to respond immediately to emergencies like these – even those that arise during the nocturnal hours – could violate habitability laws and, ultimately, lead to serious legal trouble. This is specifically true if your inaction prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and organize or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

Oppositely, other maintenance issues that, though inconvenient, are not commonly deemed emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For example, a malfunctioning appliance, cold water, or minor leaks may be troublesome for your residents, but they mostly do not fall under the category of emergency repair. These maintenance issues ought to be reported as regular maintenance requests, which can be performed during business hours.

For rental property owners, discerning what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is a huge aspect of proficient property management. Should you find yourself unable to address such requests promptly or if other obligations are encroaching upon your time, it may be a smart move to hire a quality property management company that serves the Durham area and nearby. For further inquiries, please Contact us online or call 919-439-8989 to discover the array of services that Real Property Management Impact provides for rental property owners such as yourself.

Originally Published on July 2, 2021

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