Maintenance Info

Property Maintenance

If you have an issue at your property that requires maintenance, then please complete the form below. Please be aware that maintenance of privately owned homes is not like maintenance of apartments. There is no maintenance man on staff. Property owners must hire independent contractors that are licensed, bonded and insured to work on all properties. Each and every service call from any contractor costs the owner money. Therefore it is vitally important that you follow all of the instructions below.

GA law provides that owners are responsible for maintaining basic housing systems to ensure habitability. This includes items such as plumbing, electrical, certain appliances, and certain safety items like smoke detectors and exterior locks. Owners are not required to repair cosmetic and non-essential items such as blinds, extra light fixtures, gutters, interior locks, alarm systems, doorbells, fans, etc... If you do have an issue with one of these items please let us know anyway so we can inform the owner.

General Tenant Responsibilities

Becoming a leasee of a privately owned home is very similar in many respects to buying a property in regards to the level of responsibility attached. A tenant is responsible for inspecting the property prior to move-in and determining that it is fit for habitation. This includes gaining knowledge of all water shutoff valve locations and operations, breaker boxes, and any other important systems as well as testing the functionality of all appliances including obtaining user manuals as needed to ensure proper operation. A tenant is also responsible for standard property upkeep items such as light bulbs, batteries for alarms/garage remotes, and other minor things of this nature.

A tenant is responsible for any issues caused by the tenant. If a repairman determines that an issue was caused by misuse or operator error the cost of the repair trip will fall on the tenant. A tenant also is responsible for helping with moderate troubleshooting. This will generally be limited to things such as taking and sending photos or measurements to management or completing simple troubleshooting steps.

Air Conditioning System

Make sure to test the operation of the heating and cooling of the HVAC system prior to moving in and prior to any change in weather. If a tenant has sensitivities to temperature it is recommended to obtain a backup portable air conditioner/space heater for emergencies. There are typically long wait periods for appointments during certain busy times of year and no rent credits are provided if owners are making a reasonable effort to resolve an issue. We recommend tenants regularly replace the filter to avoid system trouble and keep energy bills down. If you don't feel confident in your ability to do this properly please let us know so we can inform the owner.

Before placing a repair request make sure to check the operation of the thermostat (manuals can be found online if you are unfamiliar with it's operation) and reset the system by flipping the breaker. Please provide a detailed explanation of the problem. Is air blowing at all? Any noises heard? What does the thermostat show? Also make sure to turn off the system so that it is not frozen at the time of the repair and can be worked on.

Plumbing System, leaks, and garbage disposal issues.

Because of the possibility of water damage it is very important that a tenant familiarize themselves with all the individual water shutoff valves as well as the main shutoff valve and it's advised to shut off the main valve if away for an extended period. If there is a leak please turn off the water supplies as necessary and send in a repair request. A tenant can be held responsible for damage caused by unreported leaks so make sure to pay attention to areas under sinks and water spots appearing on the ceiling and walls as this can be a sign of a plumbing failure or roof leak. Owners are not responsible for damage to a tenant's personal possessions due to a leak or any other system failure so make sure to obtain renter's insurance.

Clogs are considered a tenant caused issue unless there is a system failure such as roots in the system. If you need assistance we can provide you with the contact info of a good plumber. If they determine the issue was caused by a system failure and not a standard clog the owner will handle the issue. If there is ever any evidence of any backup in the system stop using water immediately. A tenant can be held responsible for overflows caused by clogs.

Garbage disposal clogs and jams as well as any issues resulting from these are considered a tenant issue.  Tenants are also responsible for understanding basic septic tank maintenance where applicable. Any issues caused by improperly flushed objects will be the tenants responsibility to resolve.

Appointments

To avoid any confusion tenants will need to be scheduled directly with repair companies. Tenants can either have someone over 18 present for the appointment or at their own risk and discretion put out a lockbox to provide property access for the repair company. Tenants need to make sure they hold their appointments as there are charges for missed appointments as outlined in the lease. Make sure to keep management informed of any trouble with scheduling issues, repair delays, or incomplete repairs. Not all repair companies and owners provide us with status updates and we count on the tenants to let us know if there are continued troubles with the issue.

Use the contact page to put in a maintenance request

Make sure to include your name, the full property address and all relevant contact info.  Please provide a detailed explanation of the issue and any troubleshooting steps taken. The more detail provided the quicker we can get the issue resolved.  If you have multiple issues, please put them all in one request.   Do not make a separate request for each individual issue.