Hignell Rentals Blog

What Qualifies as an Apartment Living Maintenance Emergency?

Written by Hignell Rentals Team | August 13, 2019

If you live in a Hignell Rentals property, you have access to after-hours emergency maintenance to help make sure you're living in a safe, comfortable environment.

While living in apartments in Chico or Redding California, it might be difficult to know when you should call the after-hours line.

Here's a list to give you a better understanding of what qualifies as a maintenance emergency and when you should call the after-hours number.

You Might Have a Maintenance Emergency If...

  1. It's freezing cold in the winter time and your heating unit isn’t working - we don’t want you to freeze like a Popsicle! (The opposite is also true - if it's a really hot day and your air conditioning unit isn't working - we don't want you overheating!)

  2. You don't have electricity to your apartment and you have verified that you are current on your electricity bill payments. Unless you have night vision, it's hard to see in the dark.

  3. You're having a problem with the lock on your apartment because it looks like it's been vandalized - call a friend or grab a neighbor just in the case the intruder is still nearby, then call the after-hours emergency line.

  4. You're concerned about a possible hazard that might start a fire - for example, your electrical outlet feels hotter than normal or there's a burnt plastic smell coming from a large appliance.
     
  5. You don't have running water - kind of a necessity for cooking and basic hygiene!

  6. You only have one toilet in your apartment and it isn’t working properly. (If you have another toilet that works, then it's not considered an emergency).

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but hopefully you get the general idea. Use your common sense, but if you aren’t quite sure, call the apartment office and listen for the after-hours number that's given to you on the recording.

Please don’t be upset if you're told that your situation isn’t considered an emergency and will have to wait until normal maintenance hours. The on-call staff do their best to respond to real emergencies as quickly as possible. In the meantime, you can try these troubleshooting tips before submitting a maintenance request.

***If there is a fire, gas leakage, medical emergency or similar instances call 911***

If you rent an apartment in Chico or Redding, check out our Rental Resources for more apartment living tips.