Landlord’s Guide To Knowing What Is An Emergency Maintenance Request
When you are a landlord, you know that your job is not a regular 9 to 5. If your tenants have questions or request maintenance, especially in an emergency, this
is a drop everything and handle it kind of situation! Being a landlord can require a significant amount of time. Constantly thinking about your tenants and your property is not uncommon even when there are not any issues to address. Once key thing for every landlord to know is whether a request is an emergency maintenance situation or if the request can wait until normal business hours.
What Is A Maintenance Emergency?
Is the request being sent something that could cause damage or cause serious injury? This would be considered an emergency maintenance situation that should be addressed immediately. Some examples can include, but not limited to the following:
- Flooding
- Fire
- Broken Window or Door that Cannot be Secured
- Electrical issues or exposed wires
- Leaking roof
- Water line burst
What Is Not Considered A Maintenance Emergency?
If there is a request that does impact the safety or habitability of the tenant, this would not be an emergency issue. Some examples can include, but not limited to the following:
- Burnt Out Lightbulb
- Low Water Pressure
- Broken Ice Maker
- Noise Complaints
- Minor Leaks
Tips For Handling Emergency Maintenance Requests
It is important to handle emergency maintenance requests quickly for your tenants and your property. In case of an emergency, it should be clear to your tenants to call emergency services (911) first. As a landlord, you may want to discuss scenarios with your tenants so that they are clear on what actions to take during an emergency. What is important is that you are available, open to the tenants concerns and communication, document all requests and concerns and be knowledgeable about what you are liable for as the landlord.
Having Emergency Vendor Relationships
Providing your tenants with trusted vendors that you know are available after hours for emergency maintenance will give you and your tenants peace of mind. To take care of your tenants, provide contact information for your emergency vendors to handle those after hours calls. Qualify the vendors you will use before providing your tenants with these emergency contact numbers.
Hire A Property Management Company
As a landlord, you might be tired of handling maintenance request, questions, or finding qualified tenants for your property. The best step to take in maximizing your investment potential is to hire a property management company to coordinate everything for you. Hiring the right property management company will take all the heavy lifting out of your hands and you just sit back and watch your monthly owner distribution flow into your bank account.