Apartment Maintenance Emergencies
Sometimes, life happens and you experience an emergency in your apartment after regular office hours. While apartment management wants to provide the best maintenance service possible, sometimes what a tenant considers an “emergency” isn’t. Basically, an emergency is a situation that if not immediately remedied, can cause injury, threaten health or damage the property. Your property manager may have after-hours guidelines listed in your lease or on their website. In any case, here are some scenarios where it’s appropriate to contact after-hours maintenance.
Fire or Smoke
If there is a fire in your apartment, evacuate immediately, then call 911. Notify your apartment manager as soon as possible.
Smelling Gas
If you smell gas (the odor of rotten eggs), leave your apartment right away. Call 911 once you are safely outside.
Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, so it is difficult to detect. These days, most apartments have carbon monoxide monitors and if yours goes off, leave the unit and call 911 and maintenance.
Apartment is Flooded
If your apartment is flooding, that is considered a maintenance emergency and you should call it in, no matter what time of day at night. If you can shut off the water, do so. Flooding can seriously damage your property and the building.
The following situations are not always considered after-hours emergencies:
No Heat in the Apartment
Typically, this is not considered an emergency unless it is during extremely cold weather. It will depend on the climate where you live. However, let your apartment manager know the next business day.
Air Conditioning is Out
This is also not an emergency unless it is during a heatwave or you live in a hot climate. Again, report it to your apartment manager the next business day.
No Electricity
First, make sure to check that there is not a fuse blown or that a breaker has tripped. If neither one is the problem, then call the electric company. Most likely, there is a regional outage. However, if the problem persists, contact maintenance.
No Hot Water in your Apartment
This may be considered an emergency ONLY if there has been no hot water for an extended time: days not hours. In the event of no hot water, and it is not during a contractor’s normal business hours, we may be unable to repair the problem in as timely a manner as we would like, so be resourceful in the meantime.
Clogged or Backed Up Toilet
This is considered an emergency when there is only one toilet in the apartment. You can try your best to dislodge the clog yourself with a plunger. If that doesn’t work, then call maintenance.
Getting Locked Out
Check your property management company’s policy on lockouts. In most cases, they will ask you to contact a locksmith to let you back into your unit. Most apartments now issue key fobs, which are easier to deal with than regular keys.
Living in a Vision Community
While no one likes to deal with inconveniences in their apartment, they happen. However, knowing in advance what constitutes an emergency and when to call after-hours maintenance will go a long way towards realistic expectations and minimizing frustrations. The property managers at Vision Communities are committed to creating a safe and properly functioning apartment and providing the most efficient maintenance possible. Open communication … with a side of patience … can go a long way towards reaching this goal.
If you are looking for a new apartment community, check out Vision Communities. Our facilities are top-notch and based on some of our resident reviews, we think you’ll love the atmosphere, amenities, and our property management staff, all designed to give you a place you are proud to call home. There are so many amenities and things to do in and around our Central Ohio communities.
Schedule an appointment to check out our spacious floor plans, and our friendly property management staff will be happy to show you around.