All landlords know the terrifying feeling of receiving a call from a tenant at 2am.
While outsourcing to a property management company may ease the burden of emergency repairs, it’s important for all landlords to understand what emergency repairs are, how to plan proactively, and how to manage emergencies when they occur.
What is considered an emergency repair at a rental property?
Emergency maintenance on rental properties often results in significant damage that affects the immediate safety or usability of the property itself.
Common examples of rental property emergencies include:
- Gas leak or carbon monoxide problem
- Plumbing problems, including inoperable toilets or burst pipes, can lead to flooding and property damage
- The exterior door or lock is damaged and cannot be locked from the outside
- An air conditioner or furnace that is turned off for safety purposes during weather when heating or cooling is legally required
- long power outage
- Damage caused by flood or fire
- Sewage backup
- long power outage
- Serious electrical problems, including discovered issues with live wires
It’s important to consider that landlords won’t be the first call for help in these emergencies. For example, if a tenant discovers a gas leak, they should first call their local fire department due to potential safety concerns. Landlords can discuss the issue with the fire department to determine what repairs can be made immediately if needed.
Each state may have its own tenants’ rights laws, which may affect what happens with emergency repairs. Please pay attention to local regulations to determine which situations qualify as emergencies that require immediate attention.
What is non-emergency maintenance?
Non-emergency maintenance includes any other non-emergency repairs. They may still be considered urgent, as landlords have 3 to 7 days to fix critical repairs and up to 30 days to complete all other repairs.
Examples of non-emergency maintenance may include:
- Air conditioner breaks when temperatures are expected to drop below 90 degrees
- There is no hot water
- The light fixture was burned out.
- Garage door opener not working.
- Peeling paint or damaged drywall
- pest infestation
- One toilet or sink did not work, but there were several available on the property.
- The stove is not fully heated.
- The refrigerator is not functioning properly.
- Minor leaks in the roof, doors or windows
Actively prepare for emergency repairs
Emergency repairs are never fun, but they are an inevitable part of being a landlord. While you never know when they’re going to strike—and they often seem to happen at the most inconvenient times—there are things landlords can do to prepare in advance.
First, educate tenants on what emergency and non-emergency repairs are. Set reasonable expectations for the time it will take to resolve both types of repairs. Make sure the tenant knows who to contact and what official communications may be required, including any required forms that must be submitted.
As a general rule of thumb, we recommend that tenants expect the same level of service as homeowners. For example, someone might not be able to come out in a snowstorm, and it might take 8 to 12 hours for any kind of expert to come out.
You should also gather a list of vendors, preferably two or three companies that provide emergency repairs for every service you might need, including plumbers, electricians, locksmiths, and HVAC repair specialists. Where possible, build relationships with vendors so that they are willing to assist at short notice if needed.
Some landlords choose to partner with a property management answering service that will answer tenants’ calls around the clock. These middle-of-the-night calls can be routed to an answering service without waking the landlord.
Handle emergency maintenance situations
Landlords really have three options when it comes to resolving tenants’ emergency maintenance issues: handle it themselves, outsource contracted maintenance to a third-party vendor, or, as mentioned above, hire a property management service.
DIY repair
DIY maintenance boils down to managing your tenants’ repair and maintenance requests yourself. You must answer incoming calls, possibly inspect the damage, and contact a technician to handle any work that you are unable to perform yourself or are not licensed to perform.
That said, handing over your personal cell phone number to residents isn’t always the best idea. You may find yourself flooded with even small requests. It’s best to use a virtual phone number for maintenance, or route it to an office line if you have one. Tenants can leave messages and call back immediately if there is an emergency.
This can be challenging. Sometimes a tenant may call and ask for an immediate solution, but the solution isn’t available until the next day, or the situation isn’t truly urgent.
Make sure you have a list of trustworthy contractors on hand and be ready to spring into action in an emergency.
Sign maintenance contracts with third-party vendors
Many landlords prefer to handle most things themselves, such as receiving and tracking payments or reviewing tenant applications. Therefore, they are reluctant to work with property management companies.
Those who do want to be more involved (and keep more profits for themselves) but still want to outsource some maintenance repairs may choose to do so. There are companies that specialize in repair services for landlords who manage their own rentals. They will handle ongoing maintenance and can be contacted for emergency repairs.
When considering a maintenance contracting company, ask the same questions you would with a property management company. This may be a good option for first-time landlords who want to maintain complete control of their property but are intimidated by ongoing maintenance issues.
Use a property management company
Landlords who choose to work with a property management company can rely on the property manager to oversee emergency repairs. In some cases, a company may have a preferred supplier that can help provide emergency repairs more quickly.
When working with a property management company, ask the following questions to determine how they handle emergencies:
- Are there any extra charges for emergency repairs?
- What is your guaranteed emergency repair timetable?
- What do you consider emergency maintenance?
- Does your maintenance practice comply with state and federal requirements?
- Do you have relationships with established suppliers?
- As a landlord, what do you need from me to complete emergency and non-emergency repairs?
- How do my tenants contact to request emergency and non-emergency repairs?
- How much will you spend on repairs without my approval?
Make sure you are not only happy with all the answers, but have a formal contract outlining everything you agreed to. You cannot trust that the agreement will be enforced if it is not in writing. These include limits on how much a property manager can spend without additional permission, with limits typically including $300, $500 and $1,000.
final thoughts
Emergency maintenance doesn’t happen often, but it Do occur. Making a plan, setting expectations, and staying in touch with your contractor will keep you prepared for any situation that pops up.
Since emergencies can be expensive, especially if you call emergency services overnight, it’s a good idea to allocate funds for the eventuality. Likewise, while emergencies don’t usually happen often, a plumbing problem can easily cost $500 to $2,000 in damage on a single trip. It’s important to be financially prepared.
Finally, avoid postponing maintenance whenever possible. Perform regular maintenance and updates as needed. For example, maintain your HVAC system annually and make sure your water heater is flushed at least once a year. This can prevent more expensive repairs later and catch problems before they become urgent.
Save time and money with this refreshing guide to managing your own property.
exist self-managed landlordAmelia McGee and Grace Gudenkauf share tips for efficient property management, tenant screening and onboarding, and scaling your business, all to help you escape the 9-to-5 drudgery and create lasting wealth through real estate.
Notes on BiggerPockets: These are the opinions written by the author and do not necessarily represent the views of BiggerPockets.
