Skip to Content

What Qualifies as an Emergency Maintenance Request?

Rental home resident holding a bucket under a water leak.The majority of property managers understand that when a resident calls with an emergency maintenance request, they have to act immediately. However, which maintenance requests are emergencies that are less urgent, and which are emergencies that require immediate attention? As certain problems, even ones that result in uneasiness or annoyance, are not true emergencies, this is one of the most challenging questions that property owners must answer. On the other side, other maintenance issues are sufficiently severe to be addressed immediately or risk violating Landlord/Tenant laws or habitability codes. You can easily handle all your renter’s maintenance requests if you know the difference between the two.

What defines an emergency repair?

One way to know when you have a true emergency on your hands or not is to dwell on to what degree the maintenance issue could cause injury, severe property damage, or compromise your resident’s health and safety. In general, any issue that fits this description would be considered an emergency. Typical emergencies involve:

  • 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 vital to comprehend that certain maintenance items may be emergencies in some scenarios but not in others. For instance, a broken air conditioner is not an emergency in the cold weather. On the other side, it is undeniably during a heatwave where temperatures reach dangerous levels.

Refusal to respond immediately to emergencies like these – including those that occur in the middle of the night – could violate habitability laws and, sooner or later, generate serious legal trouble. This is especially pertinent if your inaction prompts your tenant to take matters into their own hands and address or make the repairs themselves.

Non-Emergency Maintenance Types

In opposition, other maintenance issues that, although inconvenient, are not usually viewed emergencies unless there are extenuating circumstances. To illustrate, a malfunctioning appliance, no hot water, or minor leaks may be troublesome for your residents but typically do not meet the category of an emergency repair. These maintenance issues have to be reported as regular maintenance requests, which can be resolved during business hours.

For rental property owners, understanding what constitutes an emergency maintenance issue and how to respond appropriately is an important part of effective property management. If you cannot respond to such demands swiftly or have other commitments demanding your attention, it may be prudent to hire a quality property management company serving the Southfield area and beyond. Contact us online or call 248-554-1010 for details about what Real Property Management Advantageprovides rental property owners like you.

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.

The Neighborly Done Right Promise

The Neighborly Done Right Promise ® delivered by Real Property Management, a proud Neighborly company

When it comes to finding the right property manager for your investment property, you want to know that they stand behind their work and get the job done right – the first time. At Real Property Management we have the expertise, technology, and systems to manage your property the right way. We work hard to optimize your return on investment while preserving your asset and giving you peace of mind. Our highly trained and skilled team works hard so you can be sure your property's management will be Done Right.

Canada excluded. Services performed by independently owned and operated franchises.

See Full Details