Priority Levels Explained: Low, Medium, High, Emergency

How to correctly triage maintenance requests using the four priority levels, and what response time each level implies.

2 min read
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Not every repair is equally urgent. A squeaky door hinge does not require the same response as a burst water pipe flooding a tenant's belongings. The Priority field on a maintenance request helps you and your vendors triage the workload.

The Four Priority Levels

🟢 Low Priority

Examples: Squeaky door, loose cabinet hinge, minor cosmetic crack in drywall, burnt-out porch light. Implied Response: Address within 1–2 weeks. These are quality-of-life improvements, not habitability issues. Scheduling: Bundle multiple Low-priority requests for the same building into a single vendor visit to reduce call-out fees.

🟡 Medium Priority

Examples: Running toilet, slow-draining sink, broken window screen, malfunctioning thermostat (in mild weather). Implied Response: Address within 3–5 business days. These issues are annoying but not dangerous. Scheduling: Assign to a vendor during their next scheduled visit to the area.

🟠 High Priority

Examples: Air conditioning failure during summer, no hot water, broken lock on an exterior door, pest infestation. Implied Response: Address within 24–48 hours. These issues affect habitability or tenant security. Scheduling: Contact the assigned vendor immediately and confirm a next-day appointment.

🔴 Emergency

Examples: Gas leak, flooding, electrical fire hazard, broken front door that won't secure, sewage backup. Implied Response: Address within 2–4 hours. These issues pose immediate danger to life, health, or property. Scheduling: Call the assigned vendor's emergency line immediately. If they don't answer, call your backup vendor. Document every communication attempt in the request Notes.

Legal Context

In most jurisdictions, landlords have a legal obligation to address habitability issues within a "reasonable" timeframe. By consistently using the correct priority levels in Landager, you build a documented trail proving you took every reported issue seriously and responded proportionally.

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