As a tenant, it’s your responsibility to notify your property manager or landlord of any maintenance issues that you may have. But how do you know when it’s an emergency and when it’s just an inconvenience? Knowing the difference between a maintenance inconvenience and an emergency can save time and energy in the long run. Let’s break down what exactly constitutes an emergency versus a maintenance inconvenience and how you should go about handling each situation.
Maintenance Inconveniences
The majority of issues that tenants encounter during their rental period are considered inconveniences rather than emergencies. This includes problems such as clogged drains, low water pressure, broken appliances, etc. These kinds of problems don’t require urgent attention but should be reported to your property manager as soon as possible so they can be resolved quickly and efficiently. Additionally, if you notice any minor damages around the unit (e.g., cracked tiles, small holes in walls), these should also be reported to your property manager right away so they can be fixed before they become bigger problems.
Emergencies
In contrast to inconveniences, certain issues require immediate attention from your property manager or landlord – i.e., emergencies. Examples of such emergencies include flooding or leaking inside the unit, broken windows, etc., which need to be addressed as soon as possible in order to minimize further damage. In some cases, these kinds of issues may even pose safety risks for tenants or other people in the building so it is important to act quickly upon noticing them.
It’s also important to note that certain types of emergencies call for more drastic measures – e.g., fire alarms going off or natural disasters (e.g., flood warnings). For situations like these, you should contact your local authorities first before reaching out to your property manager or landlord as they are better equipped to handle such incidents properly and safely instead of attempting DIY fixes yourself which could put yourself and/or others at risk.
The Wrap Up:
It is crucial for tenants to know when something requires urgent attention from their property manager or landlord versus when it is simply a minor inconvenience that can wait until regular business hours before being addressed. Taking care of any maintenance inconveniences immediately will help ensure that any potential damages are minimized while addressing any true emergencies promptly will keep you safe from harm’s way! When it doubt, err on the side of caution by contacting your property manager right away about any issue that may arise during your rental period regardless if it falls into either category – this way you can rest assured knowing that everything has been handled accordingly!
If you’re a tenant of Robert Cole Properties, you can easily submit maintenance requests via your tenant portal here.
