The EMERGENCY CALL System!

Seminary Properties employs an office team to answer calls and process work requests Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.   Outside of those hours, we offer our residents the ability to reach an on-call representative whenever an emergency requires it.   We would assume that most property management companies offer such a lifeline.  If a resident is locked out, has no heat in winter, or their apartment has been burglarized, they need to get help from their property manager.   The Seminary Properties emergency number is posted on letterhead, the lease, the welcome packet, and many places on the Seminary Properties website.   To make a long story short, we have an emergency contact number and the number is available in many locations.

This phone number is called the “emergency number” because it is designed to be used exclusively for emergencies.  Over the past several years, we have learned that what is considered to be an emergency by Seminary Properties is not always what tenants think of as an emergency.   Here is the Merriam-Webster definition of the word “emergency”:
Definition of emergency
1 : an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action
2 : an urgent need for assistance or relief


Bearing that in mind, here are some situations that constitute an emergency in the context of a landlord-tenant relationship:
•    No heat in winter
•    Robbery
•    No water
•    Broken water line
•    Fire
•    Gas leak
•    Any other situation that, without immediate attention, could put someone in physical danger

In the past, Seminary Properties has received calls to our emergency line asking about the status of their account, asking questions regarding a lease extension, submitting reports of a dishwasher not working, reports of a slow drain, or other situations that can wait until the next business day to be addressed.   Of course, it is fine to submit non-emergency maintenance requests by email, the online tenant portal, or by calling the office phone line at any time of day, as Seminary Properties does want to ensure that apartments are in the best possible condition and has to know about issues before they can be solved. However, some maintenance requests are emergencies, and some are not, and it is always best to use discretion before dialing the emergency line.