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At some point or another, you’ll probably need to submit a maintenance request when renting an apartment. While some maintenance concerns are obvious, there may be a time when you’re not sure you should contact your landlord or management company. What may seem like a common task to certain people may feel like an emergency to a first-time renter. That’s why Syringa Property Management would like to provide you with the following guide to knowing when and why you should submit a maintenance request.

Typical Maintenance Tasks

Typical maintenance tasks that you may be responsible for handling include clogged toilets, light bulb replacement, and resetting a garbage disposal. These are tasks renters are often able to resolve themselves. Changing the batteries in a smoke detector or garage remote are two more examples.

When to Submit a Request

While changing a light bulb may seem easy enough, you may need to submit a maintenance request if you have a high ceiling that you can’t safely reach. This is also the case if you need to change the batteries in a smoke detector but can’t access it from a small step ladder. This is when you should submit a maintenance request whenever safety is a concern.

Keep in mind, you may have questions as to what type of light bulb or battery you should purchase. Most landlords and property management companies can easily provide you with this information without having to submit a maintenance request.

While certain tasks can be taken care of on your own, there are things many people may not feel comfortable handling without assistance. If this is the case, don’t stress. Rather than falling and hurting yourself, simply submit a maintenance request explaining the issue.

Why You Should Submit Minor Requests

At Syringa Property Management, we rely on our renters to ensure small problems don’t become bigger ones down the road. Informing your landlord or property manager of minor maintenance matters can help you understand the differences in your share’s maintenance responsibilities. There will be times when you can take care of things yourself and others when you’ll need the assistance of a landlord or third-party vendor like an HVAC technician to correct the issue.

Emergency Maintenance

To start off, anything you consider an emergency should be reported to your landlord or property management company right away. Situations like these include water leaking from your toilet, dishwasher, or under your sink, along with appliance and HVAC problems. Additionally, broken door locks or unexplained power outages are serious matters that should be considered an emergency. However, loud neighbors or taken parking spots aren’t considered an emergency. Emergency maintenance requests should only be used when appropriate and for serious situations only.

Why Emergency Maintenance Requests Are Important

There are two main reasons it’s important to submit an emergency maintenance request. These include eliminating safety risks and preventing property damage. Unfortunately, no one can anticipate every problem. Your role as a tenant is an important one in keeping an eye on your rental unit. If you’re unsure of the level of importance of a certain maintenance task, take the time to contact your landlord or property management company. They will be happy to provide you with guidance or schedule a member of their maintenance staff to look into the matter.

Syringa Property Management

At Syringa Property Management, we hope these tips help you know when and why you should submit a maintenance request. If you need help searching for the perfect new home, contact us by filling out our online form or give us a call at (208) 336-4610. With over eight states and growing, we oversee a diverse collection of multifamily housing communities across the U.S.