While renting an apartment, there’s going to come a time when you need something repaired or dealt with, whether that be a leaky ceiling, a running toilet, or some pesky pests. Well, lucky for you, one of the biggest perks of being a renter is getting free maintenance to your apartment through apartment management, with some apartments even offering 24/7 emergency maintenance. Nifty, right? But how do you know when it’s time to contact apartment management for maintenance repairs?
What maintenance does apartment management cover?
The repairs that are covered by apartment management almost always include major issues (depending on local laws), but it also covers smaller everyday problems. Let’s dive in a little deeper to see what exactly your maintenance team can and will fix for you.
Leaks and Water Damage
Do you have an upstairs neighbor with a leaky fridge or an overfilling bathtub that’s caused a leak in your apartment, or even worse, serious water damage? Call your leasing office or the property manager or landlord directly to get this fixed as soon as possible. If the water damage goes past damaging the unit and damages your belongings as well, then this may be a case for renters insurance. Check your policy and your lease and discuss this issue with your property manager or landlord to see who’s responsible for what.
HVAC Repairs
There’s nothing quite as frustrating as your AC going out or not cooling properly, your heat shutting off in the dead of winter, or your apartment feeling humid due to ventilation issues – yikes! But don’t fret, renters. HVAC repairs are pretty common, so don’t hesitate to call your landlord or put in a maintenance request for an emergency repair to your HVAC. Every renter needs heat or AC (depending on the season), so in most states, this is something that apartment management is liable for fixing. However, check your city and state laws for more information on the topic.
Plumbing Issues
Are you having toilet troubles? If your toilet is backed up to the point that a plunger is not going to do the trick, and you don’t feel confident that you can fix this issue on your own, then you need to put in a maintenance request. If your toilet is constantly running, this is a serious issue that you should contact maintenance about as well.
Pest Control
We’ve all probably squealed or been slightly disgusted when finding a pest in the apartment. But no home is safe from pests, and your apartment is no different! If you are having any issue with pests, such as a roaches, mice or rats, annoying ants, or sneaky spiders, then it’s time to put in a maintenance request for pest control. The apartment community either charges you for a monthly pest control fee or they have a pest control service on retainer that’s free of charge to the tenant. Either way, don’t hesitate to contact maintenance to get this handled. The sooner they spray, bait, and trap these pests, the sooner you’ll have your apartment rid of these tiny invaders.
Appliance Repairs
If your freezer stops making ice or your dishwasher stops running, then it’s time to contact maintenance. If the appliances came with the apartment, then management is liable for fixing them. However, maintenance is not obligated to fix the microwave or toaster oven that you brought with you to the apartment.
Door or Window Locks
Having a broken lock (especially on your front door) is a big deal – get this handled as soon as possible. If you can’t lock your apartment from the interior or exterior, then it’s a safety concern. Apartment management will send out their maintenance team to fix your lock, so don’t feel like you have to replace it yourself. It’s better to have a professional deal with this issue.
Routine Maintenance to Unit
Every six months to once a year, you’ll have routine maintenance done to your apartment. This includes checking your smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and cleaning your air filters. This is the responsibility of apartment management. You’ll typically get a notification (either a call, text, email, or note on your front door) from apartment management that they’re doing routine inspections for one thing or another.
What's considered emergency maintenance?
Renters often question what is considered “emergency maintenance,” and the answer is: anything that you can’t live with or you can’t live without. It’s a sigh of relief to hear that many apartment communities offer around the clock maintenance (for emergency issues only), so don’t panic if an emergency pops up that needs immediate assistance – your apartment community has your back. Things that you can’t live without include:
- A functional toilet
- Hot water
- HVAC
Things that you can’t live with that make your apartment uninhabitable in one way or another may include:
- The presence of mold
- Serious leaks
- A broken door/window lock
Any issue that impairs the livability or safety of your apartment should be considered an emergency maintenance issue, and your apartment community will likely fix your issue as soon as they can. Though you can buy a new door lock or test for mold in your apartment, it’s not your responsibility as a renter to fix these repairs. As long as you notify management, give details of the incident, and provide entry into your apartment, any emergency issue you have should be handled in a timely fashion.
Are there repairs that don't require maintenance?
There are some renters who enjoy the perks of having a maintenance team available to them for apartment repairs, and who make good use out of this upside to apartment living. In fact, many property managers and landlords would prefer that you contact maintenance if there’s an issue rather than fixing it yourself. This way, a professional can handle the situation to be sure that it’s fixed properly. However, there are certain things that really shouldn’t require a maintenance team member to fix, so be reasonable with your requests. These may include:
Minimal Repairs
If there’s a dent in your door, a scratch on your wall, or stains on the carpet, don’t expect maintenance to repair it. Unless it’s impacting the livability of the apartment, you should be fine living with this alteration. In fact, if you’ve done any of these damages to the apartment yourself, you’re probably liable for that. So when the time comes to move out, you may be responsible for paying to fix those damages, such as replacing the carpet you stained. There’s a difference between maintenance issues and apartment damage!
Issues You Can Fix on Your Own
You may not have a lightbulb to spare to put into your ceiling fan, but if you do, feel free to change the lightbulb. This is a quick fix, and one that you won’t need maintenance to help you with. However, if you are dealing with a lightbulb in an enclosed lighting fixture, like one in the kitchen or by the front door, then you may need to put in a maintenance request to have a professional deal with removing the casing, changing the bulb, and securing the casing back.
Do you have a clogged sink or tub? This likely is from your own doing, and it’s an easy fix that you won’t need any help with. Unless the sink or tub was clogged when you moved in from a previous tenant, then you can definitely fix this on your own with some Drano or a snake. If there are some dead bugs lying around your apartment (probably killed from pest control) or some webbing from some sneaky spiders, don’t call maintenance to pick up the bugs or remove the webbing from the interior of your unit. This may go without saying, but there are definitely some messes that you can clean on your own that are not the responsibility of apartment management.
Cosmetic Changes
If you’re unhappy with the scratched tile in your kitchen, or the ugly, fading wall color in your living room, you likely won’t be able to put in a maintenance request to fix those things. Cosmetic changes aren’t exactly reason enough for contacting apartment management. If you’re dealing with a landlord, you may have a little more leeway when it comes to convincing them to update the apartment, as in fix the flooring and give the walls a fresh coat of paint. But if the apartment is perfectly livable without those things, then apartment management is not required to immediately fix them.
How To Contact Apartment Maintenance
Having a maintenance team at your apartment complex is a wonderful perk, and it’s something to be appreciative of. But how do you contact maintenance when there’s a problem? You can either call your apartment’s leasing office, call the property manager or landlord directly, email your apartment community, or (if you’re lucky) put in an online service request.
Many apartments have online portals where residents can pay rent, find out about community events, and submit any maintenance requests they may have for their unit. It’s completely free for tenants and an overall helpful tool as both a renter and a property manager, so make use of this nifty tool when your apartment is in need of repair. If you have an emergency maintenance situation that’s after hours, then you can call your leasing office. This will typically redirect you to their after-hours line where they’ll give you the option to call in an emergency maintenance request. If not, check your apartment community’s website for additional information!
