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What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.It is widely recognized among property managers that prompt responses are essential when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request. But which maintenance requests are emergencies that demand immediate attention, and which are of lesser urgency? This represents a particularly complex dilemma for property owners, as certain issues, despite leading to discomfort or inconvenience, do not qualify as true emergencies. On the other side, other maintenance issues are critical enough to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. Distinguishing the distinction between the two enables 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 hand is to evaluate to what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or pose a risk to the resident’s health and safety. Any situation that aligns with this definition would generally be considered an emergency. Common 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 critical to recognize that certain maintenance items may be emergencies depending on the context and conditions present. For example, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency in cooler weather conditions. However, it is indeed occurring during a heatwave where temperatures reach dangerous levels.

Neglecting to respond immediately to emergencies like these – including those that arise during nighttime hours – could violate habitability laws and, ultimately, bring serious legal trouble. This situation becomes particularly significant when your lack of action prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and coordinate or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

Conversely, other maintenance issues that, although problematic, typically do not qualify as emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. For example, a malfunctioning appliance, lack of hot water, or minor leaks may be troublesome for your residents but generally do not fall under the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues should be reported as regular maintenance requests, which can be addressed during business hours.

For rental property owners, understanding what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is critical for effective property management. Should you find it challenging to address such requests promptly or have competing priorities, it may be prudent to hire a quality property management company servicing the Tigard area and its surroundings. For further information regarding the services that Real Property Management Assurance provides to rental property owners, please Contact us online or call 971-270-2600.

Originally Published on July 2, 2021

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