Emergency definitions

Give this list to tenants at move-in and to everyone on your on-call calendar. Change it for each property: a building with a boiler or an elevator needs its own lines.

Emergency: someone acts now, day or night

• Water that won’t stop: a burst pipe, a flood or water coming through a ceiling
• Sewage backing up into the unit
• No heat in cold weather
• The only toilet in the unit doesn’t work
• An outside door or a ground-floor window that won’t lock, or a break-in
• Sparks, a burning smell or a hot electrical panel
• No power to the whole unit while the utility reports no outage

Urgent: within 24 hours

• No hot water
• A slow leak that a bucket or a shut-off valve controls
• The refrigerator stopped cooling
• The only shower or tub won’t drain
• No air conditioning during a heat advisory

Routine: within a few business days

• A dripping faucet or a running toilet
• One burner, outlet or light fixture not working, with no sparks or burning smell
• A door or window that sticks but still locks
• A dishwasher, washer or dryer not working

What to tell the tenant

Emergency: “Someone is on the way. Here is what to do until they get there.” Then the steps to stop the damage, like the water shut-off valve.

Urgent or routine: “Thanks, this isn’t an emergency. We’ll contact you by [time] to set up a visit.” Give a time, and keep it.

Local law can make some of these items emergencies, or set how fast you must respond. Check your state and city rules and your leases.

How to use it

1. Copy the list and change it for each property. A building with a boiler or an elevator needs its own lines.
2. Check the urgent and routine timings against your state and city rules and your leases. Repair timelines by state is a starting point.
3. Send it to tenants at move-in, and again before winter, with what to do about a gas smell.
4. Give the same list to everyone on your on-call rotation, so the answer to “is this a maintenance emergency?” is the same at night as at noon.

The guide behind it

Writing an after-hours maintenance policy