What Is Considered Emergency Maintenance In An Apartment?

When should you request emergency maintenance for your apartment? Sometimes it’s fairly obvious as you could be experiencing flooding, for example. Other issues, such as no working AC when the weather is reasonable, could call for maintenance repairs the next day. Let’s take a look at what is considered a maintenance emergency below.

What Is Considered A Maintenance Emergency?

Something that could potentially cause injury, be a health hazard, or result in property damage will always fall under the umbrella of a maintenance emergency. Here are a few instances where emergency maintenance will be needed:

• A fire (call 911, then maintenance).
• Flooding or a broken water line.
• Broken gas line or leak.
• Air conditioning stops working in hot weather.
• Heat stops working in cold weather.
• Sewer backup that is flooding the apartment.
• Broken lock on your door.

What Is NOT Considered A Maintenance Emergency?

Of course, not every single maintenance issue should sound the alarm. A minor leak coming from your kitchen sink, for example, can be looked at by maintenance the following day. Here are a few cases where emergency maintenance is NOT called for:

• No hot water in the shower.
• Lightbulb goes out.
• Ice maker stopped working.
• Broken heater or AC while the weather is reasonable.
• Stove burner is not heating up.

Emergency Maintenance Checklist

Here is a quick checklist to help you determine whether an issue calls for emergency maintenance:

• Is there an immediate risk to your safety or the safety of others? For example, gas leaks, broken locks, and exposed electrical wires should be fixed immediately.
• No heat when the weather is cold or no AC when the weather is hot will be considered emergencies.
• Is there a health risk? Pest infestations, mold, and sewage backups all pose serious risks.
• Are you unable to exit your apartment safely? Broken stairs call for immediate repairs.
• Could significant property damage be a result? Examples of this include roofing issues, severe water leaks, and burst pipes.

Conclusion

Use your best judgement when determining if a specific problem calls for emergency maintenance. For example, if your fridge is not as cold as you’d like it to be, you’ll want it fixed as soon as possible. In most cases, though, this is an issue that can be rectified the following morning.