If you are the owner of rental properties and manage them yourself, you will have a lot of different responsibilities as the landlord of the properties you own, including making repairs when needed. Repairs are a normal part of rental properties, and there are several important things you should know as a landlord relating to repairs.

Your tenants should have clear methods for requesting repairs

First of all, it is very important to offer several different methods that your tenants can use when they would like to request repairs for their units, and you could list these in the lease. You might want to offer a phone number they can call at any time for repairs, or you might want to offer an online form they can submit when they need repairs. It is always important to give your tenants a way to contact you when they have a problem like this, and the method you offer should be easy for them to utilize.

There are different types and categories of repairs.

The second thing to know is that there are different types and categories of repairs. While it is important to address all repair requests, there are certain types that are more important to address than others. Basic, general repairs include things that might be minor problems with the apartments but are not emergency situations. For example, if a tenant has a window that is stuck and will not open, this is not a problem that is considered an emergency. A piece of trim that is loose on the wall is another example of a repair needed that would be considered a basic type of repair.

There are also emergency repairs, and these are the most important types of repair requests to address. These are issues that may affect a person's safety, health, or wellbeing.

You cannot ignore certain types of requests

If your tenants request repairs that are for emergency situations, you must act quickly. In fact, the law in your state will dictate how long you have before you address the situation. You cannot ignore problems like this, and if you do, your tenants will suffer and you take the risk of legal issues too.

As a landlord, you have the responsibility of making sure the units your tenants live in are in good condition and that everything works. If you are struggling to respond to tenant requests for repairs in a timely manner, contact a property management firm for help. They can help you with this particular aspect of rental properties and more.