Maintenance Triage SOP

Purpose

This SOP ensures every maintenance request is classified, prioritized, and routed to the right person within the right timeframe. No request falls through the cracks. No emergency gets treated like a routine ticket.

Priority Classification Matrix

Priority	Response Time	Examples	Who Handles
🔴 Emergency	Immediately (within 1 hour)	Gas leak, flooding, fire damage, no heat in winter (<40°F), sewage backup, electrical hazard, broken locks/security breach	On-call emergency vendor → notify PM immediately
🟡 Urgent	Within 24 hours	No hot water, AC failure in summer (>90°F), refrigerator not working, toilet (only one in unit) not flushing, roof leak (active)	Preferred vendor → PM reviews next business morning
🟢 Routine	Within 3-5 business days	Dripping faucet, running toilet (still functional), minor appliance issues, cosmetic damage, pest control (non-emergency), light fixtures	Scheduled with preferred vendor → batch when possible
⚪ Scheduled	Within 30 days / next turnover	Cosmetic updates, carpet replacement, paint touch-ups, weatherstripping, caulking, non-urgent upgrades	Add to property maintenance schedule

Step-by-Step Triage Process

Step 1: Receive the Request

Log request in property management software (AppFolio/Buildium/RentManager)
Record: tenant name, unit, date/time, description, photos if provided
Auto-acknowledge receipt to tenant (within 15 minutes during business hours)

Step 2: Classify Priority

Use the Priority Matrix above to classify
If unsure, escalate to 🟡 Urgent (over-classify, don't under-classify)
Check: Does this affect habitability? → Emergency or Urgent
Check: Is this a life/safety issue? → Emergency
Check: Does the lease require specific response times? → Follow lease terms

Step 3: Route to Vendor

🔴 Emergency: Call emergency vendor immediately. Do NOT just email.
🟡 Urgent: Submit work order to preferred vendor. Confirm ETA within 4 hours.
🟢 Routine: Submit work order. Batch with other routine items at same property when possible.
⚪ Scheduled: Add to maintenance calendar. Review at next property inspection.

Step 4: Communicate

Notify tenant of classification, expected timeline, and vendor info
For emergencies: provide emergency vendor contact directly to tenant
If owner approval needed (>$___): get approval BEFORE dispatching (except emergencies)
Document all communications in the work order

Step 5: Follow Up

Confirm vendor completed work (get photos of completed repair)
Contact tenant to confirm issue is resolved
Review invoice against approved amount
Close work order in system
If recurring issue: flag for capital improvement review

💡 Pro Tip: Set a spending threshold with each owner upfront (e.g., "We handle anything under $500 without approval"). This eliminates 80% of your approval bottleneck and lets you resolve issues faster. Document it in the management agreement.

Owner Notification Thresholds

Situation	Notify Owner?	When
Emergency repair	Yes — after dispatching	Within 2 hours of dispatch
Repair under threshold	No (include in monthly report)	Monthly owner report
Repair over threshold	Yes — before dispatching	Before work begins
Recurring issue at property	Yes — with recommendation	After 3rd occurrence
Capital improvement needed	Yes — with ROI analysis	Next owner review

After-Hours Protocol

Tenant calls after-hours line
Answering service classifies using simplified script (life/safety → emergency, everything else → next business day)
Emergencies: answering service dispatches on-call vendor AND texts on-call PM
Non-emergencies: logged for next business day processing
On-call PM reviews all after-hours requests by 9am next business day

💡 Pro Tip: Track your maintenance data monthly. Average cost per door, most common request types, vendor response times. After 6 months, you'll have the data to renegotiate vendor rates and identify properties that need capital improvements.

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🔧 Maintenance Request Triage SOP

Purpose

Priority Classification Matrix

Step-by-Step Triage Process

Step 1: Receive the Request

Step 2: Classify Priority

Step 3: Route to Vendor

Step 4: Communicate

Step 5: Follow Up

Owner Notification Thresholds

After-Hours Protocol

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