How to Handle Maintenance Requests as a Landlord
By Solutions Property Management — Fri Jun 26 2026
How you handle repairs determines whether tenants renew or leave. Build a system that keeps tenants happy and protects your property.
How to Handle Maintenance Requests as a Landlord
How you respond to a maintenance request says everything about you as a landlord. Handle it well and tenants renew their lease. Handle it poorly and you face turnover, complaints, and potentially the Landlord and Tenant Board. A clear system makes this easy.
Know Your Legal Obligations
Under Ontario's Residential Tenancies Act, landlords must keep rental units in a good state of repair and comply with health, safety, and maintenance standards, regardless of whether the tenant knew about an issue before moving in. This is not optional.
Create One Clear Channel
Tenants should know exactly how to report a problem, ideally in writing through a portal, email, or text. A single documented channel creates a record and ensures nothing falls through the cracks.
Triage by Urgency
Emergencies like no heat in winter, major leaks, gas smells, or electrical hazards need an immediate response, often within hours. Urgent but non emergency issues should be addressed within a day or two. Routine requests should still get a clear timeline so tenants are not left wondering.
Communicate Constantly
Most tenant frustration comes from silence, not the repair itself. Acknowledge every request quickly, give a realistic timeline, and follow up when the work is done. A tenant who feels heard is far more forgiving of a delay.
Build a Reliable Vendor List
Have trusted, insured plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians ready before you need them. Scrambling for help during an emergency leads to higher costs and worse outcomes.
Document Everything
Keep records of every request, response, and completed repair with dates and receipts. This protects you legally and helps you track recurring problems that may need a permanent fix.
The Bottom Line
Fast, communicative, well documented maintenance keeps good tenants in place and protects your investment. If responding around the clock is not realistic for you, this is one of the biggest reasons landlords hire a property manager with a 24 hour maintenance system.