Tenants commonly request maintenance during their tenancy, and landlords need to know how to process the request and respond appropriately for several reasons, including, avoiding liability, protecting the integrity of the home, enforcing tenant lease obligations, and reducing costs. This article provides landlords with a framework on which to prescribe a sound maintenance request procedure.
Timely responding to and completing repairs is a critical aspect of landlord management duties. Maintenance requests should be reviewed every day, because it is a critical task to avoid liability, provide good service to tenants and property owners, and to protect the home.
Consider This Maintenance Process Method (A.R.A.S.)
Assess
Assess the nature/type (license, non-license), seriousness (low, moderate, high) and obligation (tenant, landlord or non-landlord) of the repair.
Review incoming repair requests as quickly as possible and previously set repair tasks that you set to be reviewed that day.
Determining Repair Obligations:
What is the nature of the repair?
The kind of repair will determine what vendor is needed to service the maintenance item. If the nature of the repair requires your inspection, schedule an inspection accordingly and give the tenant proper notice of the access.
What is the priority of the repair?
For emergencies, respond immediately. Notify the tenant and property owner using the applicable communication templates. Order services with the proper vendor immediately. Conduct an inspection and document thoroughly the situation, including photos and video.
For non-emergencies, follow the “Assess/Respond/Assign/Set” formula and prioritize based on urgency rating (low or moderate). “Low urgency” items do not have to be resolved as quickly as “moderate urgency”, but all maintenance items should be addressed and resolved timely based on the type of maintenance item at issue.
Whose obligation is the repair?
If you are able to determine the obligation of the maintenance item based on the tenant’s report, respond to the tenant accordingly. If there is a Home Warranty that may provide coverage for the maintenance item, immediately notify the property owner to make a claim on the policy.
If the tenant did not provide pictures at the time of the maintenance request, ask the tenant to upload pictures of the reported problem.
When vendors perform service, ask them to provide you with pictures of the condition (pre- and post-repair) and inform them that you need to know the cause of the problem to the best of the vendor’s ability, which is helpful to determine whose obligation the maintenance item is.
Respond
On the same day as the repair is reported, email the tenant according to an initial determination of whose obligation the maintenance item is: not the landlord’s obligation, landlord’s obligation, undetermined, or tenant’s. Notify the property owner of the repair request as required by the property management agreement.
Upon review of the maintenance request, respond to the tenant based on your initial determination of whose obligation the repair item is, using applicable communication templates:
Repair (Tenant Obligation) (simple fix)
Repair (Tenant Obligation) (complex/license)
Repair Notice (Landlord Obligation)
Repair Notice (Obligation Undetermined)
Determine whether you should conduct a pre-vendor-inspection, or whether you should order the vendor service without inspecting first. The more serious the maintenance report, the more likely you will need to inspect before the vendor arrives or at the same time as the vendor arrives.
If you can determine the nature of the repair and applicable vendor before an inspection, determine whether it would be prudent to conduct inspection.
Factors include:
- Do you need to “lay eyes” on the property to get more information about the tenant and property conditions?
- Have you inspected this property before?
- Has it been more than three (3) months since inspecting the property?
- Is there a history of tenant problems?
- Is the reported problem serious in nature (e.g. major damage, safety issues, etc.)
After inspection or vendor repair, if your initial obligation determination has changed or needs additional clarification, communicate this with the tenant.
Assign
Assign the repair to the proper vendor or maintenance staff for service. When the vendor accepts the work order, ask the vendor what date that the vendor will perform the service and notify the tenant accordingly of your hire or agent accessing the premises regarding maintenance request.
Assignment process of the maintenance item.
- Determine if the repair requires a licensed vendor or handyman, or if the repair item needs to be assigned to one our personnel (e.g. maintenance coordinator)
- Contact that needed vendor or maintenance staff to confirm that he can perform the repair or inspect for estimate and causation.
- Prepare work order for the vendor or maintenance staff.
- Confirm the date and approximate time that the vendor/staff will access the premises and give the tenant at least 24 hours’ notice of accessing the premises, except for emergencies, in which case, you can access immediately.
- Go to “SET” section of the maintenance process. If determination of repair obligation cannot be made without an inspection, conduct the inspection to determine the problem and what vendor needs to be used.
Gather Sufficient Evidence Regarding:
- What is the defective condition? The “what” determines the vendor needed and whether and when we need to conduct an inspection.
- Who or “what condition” caused the repair need? The “who” or “what condition” determines whose obligation the repair is. If evidence proves that the tenant is liable for the condition or failure to mitigate, consult with our attorney and broker for our course of action.
- What is the remedy necessary to fix the repair item? The “what remedy” determines the cost of repair and process of completion.
Set
Set the next due date in your tasks so that you check on the repair status on that date. Due dates should reflect the nature and seriousness of the maintenance item in question.
Set the “due date” for the repair in your software program on a continual basis, and the due date should reflect the nature and seriousness of the maintenance item at issue.
The “due date” is updated for purposes of initiating service, obtaining update status of the repair, ensuring that vendors (or tenants) are completing the repair, and to bring the repair to completion.
Update the repair task contemporaneously with the event, updates, work orders, vendor findings, vendor estimates, communications with tenant/owner, etc. Do not rely on your memory or other sources of information (e.g. email). Always keep the repair task current and complete
A.R.A.S. Maintenance Process Flowchart
Common Maintenance Requests
There are common maintenance requests you should be familiar with and know how to properly handle. The following are samples of common maintenance requests.
- Appliances (oven/stove, microwave, refrigerator)
- Broken Locks
- Clogged Drain
- Toilet
- Sink/Faucet (drip, clog, leak)
- Showers
- Tubs
- Garbage Disposal
- HVAC
- No Hot Water
- Pest/Rodents
- Roof, Window & Sink Leaks
- Continuously Running Toilets
- Smoke detectors
- Electrical work
- Lights
- Drywall repairs
- Doors
- Mold/Mildew
- Smell of gas
- Structure problems
Examples of HIGH Urgency Requests (same day/next day)
- HVAC defect during extreme weather
- Heat not working in Winter
- Electrical problems
- Structural problems
- Water intrusion (leaks from roof, walls)
- Dangerous Mold
- Heavy objects lose or hanging
- Large holes on premises
- Pest/rodent infestation
- Sharp objects
- Pool problems
Examples of MODERATE Urgency Requests (3 – 7 days)
- Appliances Not Working (when it is our responsibility to supply the appliance)
- Clogged or Slow Shower or Sink Drain
- Interior Light Stops Working (not just the bulb burning out; the actual light fixture is not working)
- Large Hole in the Wall
Examples of LOW Urgency Requests (8 – 15 days)
- Cracked tile grout coming up
- Damaged flooring (that does not create a walking hazard – tear in carpet/stain in carpet/hardwood floor needing repair/saddle coming up
- Running toilet
- Insects spotted inside
- Small leak or drip in faucet
- Cabinet doors off hinges
- Interior doors off their hinges / door not closing properly, unless the door is heavy and could fall and hurt someone
- A draft
- Minor hole in the wall
- Molding or trim needing repair
Conclusion
Effectively managing maintenance requests is crucial for landlords to avoid liability, protect property integrity, enforce tenant obligations, and reduce costs. By following a structured process like A.R.A.S. (Assess, Respond, Assign, Set), landlords can ensure timely and appropriate responses to maintenance issues. Properly assessing the nature, priority, and obligations of repairs, responding promptly, assigning the correct vendors, and setting due dates for follow-up are essential steps to maintain the property and satisfy tenants. By being proactive and diligent, landlords can handle maintenance requests efficiently, providing a safe and well-maintained living environment for their tenants while safeguarding their investments.
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