Below are tips for handling common maintenance issues that don’t necessarily require a visit from our maintenance team. Once you’ve exhausted our suggestions if the problem persists, please submit a maintenance ticket in your tenant portal with a detailed description of the problem so that our maintenance team can assist you.
Pilot Light Out: If there are manufacturer’s instructions available to relight the pilot, follow them directly. If not, please call for assistance.
Toilet Not Flushing: Carefully lift the lid off the tank. Look to see if the chain from the flush handle has become disconnected or kinked. If it’s not broken, it can be reattached or unkinked.
Toilet Tank Keeps Running Water: You’ll be able to hear the water continue to run after flushing the toilet, or periodically during the day. This is something our office needs to know about so we may check it out before your water bill increases significantly.
Bats/Pest Control: Most pest problems can be avoided by not leaving food out in the open, keeping garbage covered, floors clean and swept, countertops/sinks free of dirty dishes, and screens free of holes. Bats are another story. They find small holes in foundations, roofs, and screens to get shelter. There are laws that protect bats from being killed. The best option is to leave a door or window open in the room that the bat has entered, in hopes it will fly out on its own. If you have an idea where the bat came in, we can remedy the problem in some cases by closing off the hole. However, this can be a trial and error process and may require several attempts & visits from our maintenance crew.
Smoke Alarm Makes Noise At Random: If there is no smoke or heat to cause your smoke alarm to “chirp”, it usually means the battery needs to be replaced. If this is a direct wire connection, it may not be plugged in properly.
Deadbolt Is Sticking: Sometimes spraying a little bit of powdered graphite in the lock and around the bolt while extended will help. Make sure not to use anything that will freeze the lock during winter.
What’s A GFI?: An electrical outlet called a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). It’s there to protect people from electrical shock. A GFCI monitors the amount of current flowing from hot to neutral. If there is an imbalance, it trips the circuit and power to that outlet will be cut off. If the circuit trips, it can be reset by pushing the button on the GFI that has popped out, back in.
Furnace Not Blowing/Heating: Check your thermostat settings – Fan ON or AUTO, temperature setting, and heat switched to ON are all ways to determine whether it’s actually the furnace. You don’t want to adjust it too often since it takes time for the settings to register and make changes in the unit. Turn the heat setting up just a few degrees, and wait a few hours to see if it is up to temp. If not, call for assistance. Also, to maximize the efficiency of a furnace, tenants should be sure to change the filters monthly. This inexpensive task will save money on heating.
Burglary/Break-In: File a report with the police department as soon as possible. Take inventory to determine what was stolen. If any damages were caused to your rental unit, call our office after talking to the police. If you have security issues with the doors/windows, you can talk to us about options to make them more secure.
Appliances (major): First you want to check to see if the appliance has power. Is there a light or switch you can turn on to indicate this? Is it making any noise or movement? Before you call, be able to give an accurate description of what the problem is and the model of the appliance.
Lights Are Out/No Power: Check the circuit breaker box for a flipped switch. This is not always obvious. You may have to turn switches to OFF, then flip back to the ON position. If you don’t have a circuit breaker system, you’ll have to identify which fuse looks like it may be burnt. There would be a burnt/discolored appearance and/or a break in a metal band or spring across the top of the fuse. This is visible when looking through the glass top of the fuse.
Changing A Fuse: After identifying the burnt fuse, it must be replaced with an exact match. Fuses are color coded and have the watt information printed on top.
Frozen Pipes: During subzero winter months, pipes have been known to freeze. Before the pipes freeze, you can try to prevent it by leaving your cupboard doors open so heat can circulate under your sink and/or leaving the water on a slow steady stream. If you have a space heater, use it to help thaw frozen pipes while you are able to be home to monitor the appliance.
Leaking Faucet/Handle/Drain: After locating the source of the leak, try to determine if it is leaking due to a missing screen or gasket. If water is leaking at a steady stream, you may want to turn off the water source under the sink when not in use. Call the office for maintenance.
Blocked/Slow Draining Sink/Tub Drain: Usually using a plunger on the drain will help if caught in time. If plunging doesn’t cause the clog to come loose, you’ll have to purchase Drano or Liquid Plumber. Follow product directions for safe use. We recommend you invest in a standard drain screen to help prevent hair and other objects from going down the drain.
Garbage Disposal: When attempting to repair your won garbage disposal, you must always obey the cardinal rule: Never put your hand down the drain into the disposal! If the disposal will not turn on and it is not making a humming sound, then there is an electrical problem. Make sure the disposal is plugged in. If it is plugged in then press the reset button found on the bottom of the unit. If it has reset, the button will be popped out. If that does not work, check to see if the circuit breaker has tripped and turned off in the electrical service panel. If the garbage disposal won’t turn on but makes a humming sound when you flip the switch, that means you have a stuck flywheel and you’ll need to submit a maintenance ticket to our team for assistance.
