There are around 10 million taxpayers in the United States receiving rental income. With an average of two units per landlord, these small entrepreneurs can’t all be sophisticated property managers. They need simple guidance on issues such as emergency and routine maintenance.
What are the differences between routine maintenance and emergency maintenance? They’re clearly not the same thing, but it’s easy to confuse them. Here, you can learn the answer to this important question for landlords.
Why Does it Matter to Landlords?
You have obligations to your tenants. These are enshrined in a tenancy agreement and may also be set out in local tenant and landlord ordinances. There’s also a moral obligation to provide a place for your tenants that is safe for them to live in.
Maintenance is an essential part of meeting these obligations. You don’t have to carry out maintenance immediately that it is requested by a tenant. It is important to be clear about what is an emergency, and what isn’t and doesn’t need immediate action.
When a property manager is involved in performing maintenance, this understanding is part of the relationship between landlords and their property manager as well.
Why Does it Matter to Tenants?
Tenants have a reasonable expectation to live in safe housing. They also have expectations that may not be well-founded. Tenants need to be informed about how to handle maintenance issues and what the terms of their tenancy are.
Tenants who have a clear understanding of the difference between an emergency and routine maintenance will not have false expectations. They’ll also be able to help their landlord and property manager provide them with the most appropriate response to maintenance issues.
Routine Maintenance
Routine maintenance covers repairs and maintenance that do not need to be done immediately. However, this doesn’t mean that they should be neglected. The timetable for such maintenance can be prompt, even within 24 hours, it just does not have to be immediate.
Tenants don’t need to report routine maintenance immediately, and they may not be immediately resolved. This is because the consequences of not resolving the problem immediately are not harmful or dangerous for the tenants.
Examples of non-emergency maintenance are a slow draining sink, a faulty blind, or a malfunctioning dishwasher. In all these cases there are no serious consequences if the problem lasts for several days. They might be inconvenient, but it isn’t harmful.
A subtler issue is a blocked toilet. If the property has two toilets, one blocked toilet is not an emergency because there is an alternative toilet. If there is only one toilet in the property, then it’s probably necessary to address this problem as an emergency maintenance report and resolution.
Emergency Maintenance
When a failure or malfunction puts the tenant or others at risk of imminent harm, it should be treated as an emergency maintenance issue and reported as such.
Examples of emergency maintenance issues are major incidents of flood or fire. These can be very damaging to the property and cause further damage, and even injury, if not resolved immediately. An early report from the tenant and quick resolution are in everybody’s interest.
Any damage or malfunction that compromises the tenant’s ability to escape from the property in the event of a fire or other emergency is also itself an emergency. You never know when a fire might occur, and not having an escape routine is unacceptable. Fire escape routes could be compromised by stuck doors and windows, unsafe floors, or broken fire escape ladders.
Locks are essential for tenants to secure their own safety and that of their property. Broken locks are an emergency. A repair or replacement is a matter of urgency so that tenants can live in the property, safe from intruders.
Serious Safety Risks
Gas and electricity are safe and effective when installed and used correctly. If a fault develops, or there is damage to the supply or to appliances, they can be very dangerous. Both gas and electricity have the potential to cause serious injury or even death.
Electrical appliances that fail but are not essential can be easily disconnected from the electricity supply. They are a non-emergency maintenance issue. Faults where there are live electricity cables are very dangerous and are emergencies.
Gas leaks can be potentially very dangerous. They can cause explosions, damaging property, and harming people. Any fault with the gas supply or gas appliances, where there is a suspected release of gas, is an emergency.
Leaks and other plumbing problems are sometimes emergencies. If the leak could result in serious damage to the property if it is not resolved quickly then it is an emergency. A leak could also be dangerous if the water might come into contact with electricity.
Water and electricity are a dangerous cocktail that can result in serious electrical faults and electrical shocks for tenants. These plumbing issues should be dealt with as an emergency.
Working Together
With a clear understanding of the correct classification of routing and emergency maintenance issues, all parties can work together effectively. Tenants can report problems correctly. Property managers and landlords can resolve matters promptly and provide safe places for tenants to live.
Timely Maintenance
Emergency maintenance is for issues that might cause immediate harm to tenants or others. Routine maintenance is for issues that do not need to be addressed immediately. They can be carried out promptly.
Talk to us about maintenance and our property management services by contacting us here.