Repairs
The Company has an agreement with the owners to not issue work orders for repairs that cost in excess of the amount stated in their contract. In the event an emergency (habitability) repair becomes necessary, i.e., water heater, roof leak, etc., the work order can be issued, however, the owner should be contacted first and advised of the emergency. The owner must be advised to send in funds immediately and/or accounting must be notified to hold funds in the property’s account. If unable to reach personally by phone, messages should be left at home and work, email and memo sent in mail to advise the owner of type of action taken and approximate costs involved.
Procedures require estimates be provided to the owner for repairs costing over the stated limit. This can be done by mail, phone, fax, email, etc. See procedures in estimates for further detail.
Residents are encouraged to make minor repairs themselves and turn in the receipts for parts for reimbursement. The Company does not reimburse for tools. This saves the owner the additional cost for a Vendor and allows the resident to get the repair done at their own convenience. The most common types of repairs reimbursed to residents are listed on the “No Hassle Repairs Under $50” given to residents when they sign their lease.
If a resident requests to make improvements to the property, out of the normal scope of daily maintenance items, they must first request and receive written approval by the owner.
When repairs are needed, they are requested by the owner or resident. During an annual or exterior inspection, you may also note that a repair is necessary and issue a work order for it. When you issue a work order for a repair, it must be issued to an approved Vendor and should contain a brief description of the repair needed as well as the resident’s day and evening contact phone numbers. This will allow the Vendor to efficiently schedule an appointment with the resident to complete the work.
There are times when residents request repairs be made that they are responsible for the costs associated with them, i.e., plumbing clogs, garbage disposal repairs, etc. When the resident calls in to request the repair, they should be reminded that they may be responsible if there has been any abuse on their part. The Vendor will note if the repair was the resident’s responsibility on his invoice and accounting will collect from the resident.