How to Handle Maintenance Issues in Your Rental Unit
One of the biggest conveniences of renting is that you don’t have to worry about handling the headaches of maintenance issues. If a sink won’t drain or your air conditioner isn’t working, you don’t have to deal with the headache of calling a contractor or getting frustrated at unexpected expenses that may pop up because of it. All you have to do is call your property manager or landlord and they will arrange for the repairs and you don’t even have to pay for it!
This is the case for a majority of lease agreements, so you will definitely want to review your lease to be sure that the landlord is responsible for these repairs so that everyone is on the same page. Leases that are for Commercial Spaces may have it written in the lease that you are responsible for some or all of the repairs to your building.
Document the Issues
When you notice an issue arise and you are about to notify your landlord, you should have some sort of evidence of the issue to give a better understanding of what the issue may be. This can include photos, videos, and written explanation of what is happening. Pictures and videos are the best option!
Notify your Landlord
It is critical not to delay informing your landlord of any maintenance issues. Not only is it important to nip things as they arise before they get any worse, but if you lease and do not report issues, you may be held liable for at least a portion of damages that could have been prevented.
Call your landlord and schedule for maintenance to check out the issues that you reported – depending on the severity of the issues, this may be a multiple day ordeal. You may even have other ways to report the service issues, such as through text, email or even an app that works with the property manager’s software. Some tenants prefer to be home during maintenance and others are okay with maintenance entering and repairing while they are away. Either way you choose, be sure that you are maintaining communication with the landlord during the scheduling process.
In the event of an emergency, such as a busted pipe or not working heat and cool on a freezing or blazing day, you should call your property manager so that they can plan for an immediate plan of action. Less important issues can be reported via email and service tickets.
Advocate for Your Concerns
You should know and understand your rights as a tenant. You are entitled to a fully functional space and any issues that involve electrical, plumbing, and HVAC are important issues that need to be addressed. Typically, most Property Managers will have problems addressed (and even solved) within 48 hours. There are cases when issues take longer due to various reasons, such as waiting for parts to arrive, a backup of work orders, etc. In these cases, your property manager should be keeping communication with you and let you know if any updates. If you haven’t heard anything, it could be a good idea to reach out and get an update on the progress. Communication is everything.
Creating Ease for Maintenance Techs
Once you have scheduled a date for the maintenance techs or outside vendors to address your property’s concerns, you should make sure of a few things for the courtesy and safety of the technician. If you have a dog or any other pet, be sure that it is put in another room to prevent any issues with biting, barking, or even the pet escaping. Make sure that the area where the technician will be accessing is free of clutter and debris so that they have clear access to the work area.
Being courteous to your technician also includes less thought of things. If you have other maintenance issues that you thought of that need addressed, you may think that waiting until they get there to show them would be a good idea. However, it most cases, the technicians are only allotted for a certain amount of time when they map out their day. Doing extra tasks that were not accounted for in the work order can put the technician behind for their next appointment. This is why it is imperative that when you call and discuss your maintenance concerns with the property manager, you be sure to give all your concerns at one time so that the technician can plan for the appropriate amount of time for the visit.
Having a maintenance issue is never fun. However, if you are proactive in maintaining communication with the property managers and the maintenance technician the process of fixing your maintenance concerns should run smoothly. Just remember to keep communication flowing and document everything!