What to Do When You Have a Maintenance Request
Part of living in a rental property is knowing what to do when you need a repair. Whether your sink is leaking, your doorknob is loose, or your heat isn’t working, knowing how to put in your maintenance request correctly is the key to getting the repairs done in a timely fashion.
There are three main methods of requesting maintenance including emergency messages, online requests through a tenant portal, or through a direct text or phone call to the office.
Emergency Calls: An emergency call may be necessary for requests that require immediate action when the manager’s office is closed. These requests might entail:
No heat or water.
Frozen pipes
Severe water leaks or flooding
Sewage back-ups or toilet clogs
Gas leaks
Lock-outs
Other emergencies
The idea of the emergency maintenance line is to give tenants access to speak with someone in the event of an emergency or when they may not be able to reach the main office, such as on weekends or between the hours of 5 pm and 9 am on weekdays. Calling the emergency line is unnecessary during hours when the office is open or for maintenance that can wait until the next business day.
Tenant Portal Requests: Maintenance requests made through the tenant portal are the most common and the best way to submit a typical request. This portal is best for requests that are not urgent. Tenants can submit requests at any time and are able to include information regarding the nature of the request, tenant availability, and photos if applicable.
These requests might entail:
Minor leaks
Clogged sink drains
Broken electrical or plumbing fixtures
Other non-urgent repairs
Tenant portal requests are the easiest way to get requests through to the office for matters that can be scheduled in the future. These requests are ones that will not require immediate action, and inaction will not cause any further damage to the property.
Calls, Texts, or Emails: Making a call or sending an email or text to the office is the slowest method of requesting maintenance. While some people may prefer this if they don’t use the online portal, calls, texts and texts can be delayed as they don’t always go straight to the maintenance team. However, if we miss your call, leave a voicemail and someone will return your call or get back to you through text to schedule your maintenance concern.
Calls may be useful when:
You have an emergency during office hours (9 am - 5 pm Monday-Friday)
You are unable to access your tenant portal
You have a very specific request that may require back & forth questions or time restraints
Texts or emails may be useful when:
You are unable to access your tenant portal
The maintenance request is non-urgent in nature
You have specific scheduling requests outside of the options in your portal
False Maintenance Requests
While it is important to us that you report all maintenance concerns, requests that aren’t able to be recreated by a technician are billed to tenants. If you immediately put in a request for a “leak” that turns out to be water spilled on the floor, it is your responsibility to pay for the time the technician spent trying to find the “leak.” We encourage our tenants to use care when submitting requests and to make sure any requests are reported accurately. If you report a maintenance concern that you later realize doesn’t require repair, always notify us ASAP to avoid scheduling and having to pay the fees associated with a false request.
Overall, it is best to use the measures put into place for tenant convenience when making maintenance requests. Following the directions on your lease is the best way to ensure your request is received with the correct amount of urgency and in an organized fashion. Understanding when it might be the right time to report an emergency or when it can wait is crucial to helping our process remain efficient. Always remember that you are responsible for reporting any concerns within your unit, if we don’t know about it, we can’t fix it!
