What is Emergency Apartment Maintenance?

Tenants who live in an apartment may deal with a range of maintenance issues and need to understand the maintenance process. When problems arise, it's important to know what's "normal" and when to request emergency maintenance.

Here at Ridgeport Apartments and Townhomes, our onsite maintenance team consists of Wichita's most knowledgeable maintenance professionals, complete with HVAC and other certifications. Residents rely on them to fix and maintain everything from lights to plumbing, drywall, and more.

Together, let's explore the question: What is emergency apartment maintenance?

No Heat in Winter

If your heat isn't working during the winter, your apartment can get cold pretty quickly. Not having heat in the winter is almost always considered an emergency maintenance issue and should be addressed as soon as possible. In the meantime, a space heater can serve as a quick fix.

Be sure to reach out to your property manager as soon as you encounter heating issues in the winter because the lack of heating could also cause damage to the HVAC system and create issues with frozen pipes. In most cases, this will be considered emergency apartment maintenance.

NO AIR CONDITIONING IN SUMMER

Just like not having heat in winter, having no air conditioning in the summer is also considered an emergency maintenance issue. As temperatures rise, being in your apartment without working air conditioning isn't just unpleasant, it can potentially be dangerous.

If your A/C stops working, you should get in touch with your landlord or apartment property management company right away. The sooner they can address the issue, the quicker you'll get back to being comfortable.

If the problem with the air conditioning is complicated and needs intensive maintenance, there's a good chance that your landlord can come up with a temporary fix. Addressing a non-working air conditioning system is something that tenants should bring up as soon as possible and is definitely considered an emergency maintenance request.

THERE'S NO POWER IN THE APARTMENT

In most cases, not having power in your apartment is an issue related to the power company and not your landlord or the building itself. Start by contacting your local utility company to find out if there's an outage in your area. If the utility company can identify a power outage for your specific building or unit, then there's no need to call your landlord. In fact, many apartment communities consider not having power to be an emergency maintenance issue for the utility company to resolve. In some cases, no power may be a result of an electrical issue. If your power company can't find the cause, then it might be time to contact your landlord. Check with other tenants in your building first to see if they're also without power before you call.

THE TOILET ISN'T FLUSHING

If the toilet isn't flushing in your apartment, there could be a couple sources to the problem. In most cases, it's likely due to a clog that you can try to fix with a plunger. If you use a plunger and find it's not doing the job, the toilet might have more serious underlying plumbing issues. In this case, reach out to your property manager immediately.

A clogged sink or toilet is something that should be handled by an experienced plumber or maintenance technician. Just keep in mind that if they find that the clog is due to something you shouldn't have flushed down the toilet, you could be responsible to pay for the repair.

THE FRIDGE STOPS WORKING

A broken refrigerator can cause your food to spoil, which is a major hassle. While this is certainly important, it might not be considered an emergency maintenance issue when there’s a long list of maintenance requests flooding in. Let your landlord know as soon as your fridge stops working, but don't expect a repair or replacement to happen right away.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE IN AN APARTMENT?

Anything that is life-threatening, such as a fire or flooding, should be addressed by calling 911. Otherwise, here are some more common issues that are considered a job for emergency maintenance.

Gas leaks or a broken gas line
Plumbing issues causing flooding
Broken locks, doors, or windows
Non-working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Serious pest infestations
Damage caused to common areas that pose a safety hazard

Most leases will include a list of emergency maintenance issues you can refer to when in doubt. Less urgent problems are usually handled by the landlord or on-site management staff as soon as possible.

NON-EMERGENCY ISSUES

Here are some items that most leases consider to be a non-emergency:

Non-working appliances (like a stove or fridge)
Cosmetic issues like cracked drywall
A clogged garbage disposal
Broken lights/light fixtures
Malfunctioning laundry equipment

Remember to contact your landlord right away, regardless of whether you think the maintenance issue is urgent. They will decide the level of urgency based on the problem you specify.

PRACTICE AN APARTMENT MAINTENANCE ROUTINE

When you’re wondering what is considered emergency maintenance in an apartment, refer to this guide to help you determine which issues are most urgent. Practicing proper apartment maintenance can help to prevent many of these issues from becoming a larger emergency in the future.

If you’re looking for your next home, please visit us here at Ridgeport Apartments & Townhomes in Wichita, KS. We offer the city’s finest 1, 2, and 3 bedroom floor plans, designed with ideal blend of comfort, style, and breathability. We also have a top-tier onsite maintenance team that takes the utmost care of residents and their homes.

Schedule your tour today with one of our leasing specialists and discover why residents choose Ridgeport Apartments & Townhomes, where we celebrate home every day.