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What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.Property managers are generally aware that they need to react promptly when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request. However, which maintenance requests are emergencies that necessitate immediate attention and which are not as urgent? This is among the more problematic questions that property owners encounter, as certain problems, even if they lead to uneasiness or tiresomeness, are not genuine emergencies. On the contrary, other maintenance issues are sufficiently risky to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. Distinguishing the distinction between the two can help you properly 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 is to assess what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or endanger your resident’s health and safety. Any issue that would meet these criteria would typically 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

You must grasp that certain maintenance items may be emergencies under one set of conditions but not another. For illustration, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency when the weather is cool. But it definitely is amidst a hot spell where temperatures reach dangerous levels.

Failure to respond immediately to emergencies like these – involving those that transpire in the middle of the night – could violate habitability laws and, eventually, bring about serious legal trouble. This is particularly the scenario if your inaction prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and coordinate or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

On the other hand, other maintenance issues that, even though bothersome, are typically not observed as emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For example, a malfunctioning appliance, no hot water, or water leaks may be troublesome for your residents but commonly do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues must be reported as regular maintenance requests, which can be executed during business hours.

For rental property owners, realizing what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is a great element of outstanding property management. If you’re unable to address these requests promptly or have other commitments, it may be the right moment to consider hiring a quality property management company that operates in the Fort Worth area and its surroundings. Contact us online or call 817-930-1160 for more details about what Real Property Management Trailhead delivers for rental property owners like you.

Originally Published on July 2, 2021

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