Apartment renters enjoy the luxury of not needing to worry about home maintenance and repair, and the expensive bills that come along with it! But something is bound to go wrong every once in a while, which is why you need to know when to call for an emergency maintenance request.
What Is Considered An Emergency?
An emergency maintenance situation is typically one that poses a risk of injury or significant property damage. Your apartment community may include a list of possible emergency circumstances and what to do and may provide a 24-hour emergency maintenance phone number where you may speak with staff about your problem. The following are examples of situations that could be considered an emergency:
- Apartment flooding or a broken water pipe
- Gas leak or broken gas line
- Broken door or window locks
- Faulty air conditioning in hot summer
- Faulty heating in cold winter
- Clogged toilet in one-bathroom apartment
It is fairly obvious in some of the situations. For example, if you find yourself knee-deep in water in your apartment’s living room, the leak must be repaired immediately. On the other hand, if one of your toilets is clogged and you live in a two-bathroom apartment, it will not be considered an emergency.
What Is Not Considered An Emergency?
Because the apartment maintenance personnel must prioritize requests based on severity, not all maintenance concerns can be addressed right away, even if they are inconvenient for the renter. The following are some examples of circumstances that aren’t always deemed emergencies:
- Dripping faucets
- Minor leaks in water/sewage pipes that can be contained
- Faulty air conditioner during cool days
- Faulty heating during warm days
- Appliances not working correctly. IE: Microwave, Stove, Washer/Dryer, etc.
- Broken hinges or handles on cabinets
- Faulty light fixtures
These are situations in which you would want to fix the issue but they do not put the tenant in danger or cause significant property damage.
What May Feel Like an Emergency But Isn’t
There are many circumstances where you will need a solution immediately but they still don’t qualify as emergency maintenance.
Getting Locked Out of Your Apartment
If you are locked out of the apartment or lose your key, you would want to fix the situation right away. This, however, does not qualify as an emergency because you or your property are not in immediate danger. What you can do is call a locksmith who can help you get back into your apartment.
HVAC Problems
If your air conditioner stops working, the majority of apartment administrations do not consider it an emergency unless the temperature is above a certain point. The same rule applies to the apartment heating system. If it isn’t freezing outside, an outage of your heating system won’t constitute an emergency.
Electricity/Utility Outage
When your apartment experiences a power outage, maintenance isn’t usually responsible for fixing the issue. It could be a weather event or technical issue with the electric company, that your apartment community has no control over. That’s why it is important to consider the reason for the outage before you call for maintenance. For instance, if your power or water has been shut off because of non-payment, there is nothing maintenance can do.
Don’t Wait For It To Get Worse
You mustn’t put off maintenance requests. The sooner you submit your request, the faster the maintenance team will be able to resolve it! If you notice something that could endanger you or your family, contact the maintenance team’s emergency service right away. If the matter isn’t an emergency, submit a maintenance request and they’ll take care of it as quickly as possible. Don’t put off small issues and risk them turning into big problems!
At Fieldstone Apartments, we are proud to employ a diligent apartment maintenance team who always do their best to ensure our residents are satisfied! You can submit apartment maintenance requests through your Resident Portal or call our 24-Hour Emergency Line if you are faced with an emergency. If you are not yet part of the Fieldstone community, apply for our Blacksburg Apartments today!