A Few Things For Owners And Residents To Keep In Mind When They Place Requests For In Unit Maintenance

Most owners and residents are already aware our maintenance can do some household repairs and maintenance. You can call or e-mail your request, or even put in a ticket via Habitat’s Owner Portal for those Owners who’ve registered online. Clogged sinks, drippy faucets, heater not working, lock changes and more.

There are some questions we frequently encounter that both Owners and renters should keep in mind.

1. Most work we do within or associated with a Unit, will result in a charge. In unit maintenance is not budgeted as a part of the assessments, so it is typical for their to be a labor charge plus the cost of any parts used. Labor is presently $55/half hour. (The plumber’s rate is $67.50) There are somethings we do not charge for, and that is typically for things that will reduce water waste. To review or download the current (as of 3/3/23) maintenance fees list with typical parts charges, and free services, Click Here.

2. Owners need to authorize any maintenance that will result in a charge on their account. The office staff needs confirmation directly from an Owner. If a renter has a maintenance request, they need to contact their Owner. It is then up to the Owner to decide who to contact to address the condition. Some Owners have their own maintenance service or handyman. It is their choice.

3. Exceptions to the need for Owner approval include emergency conditions or lockouts. Leaks, floods, clogs, loss of a utility or heat, are some examples of that. Lock out service would also be provided as a courtesy and to avoid the damage locksmiths can do to doors and frames. Owners should also be aware, while we typically unclog sinks for free, a labor charge is possible if the source of the obstruction is found to be foreign material in the line from the residence. Excessive hair, shampoo caps, supposedly “flushable” wipes, food, grease, etc. We even found chicken bones in a toilet once. (Why???) So for clogs, if we do get a call from a renter they will be asked to contact the owner.

4. Inflation has had a pretty big impact. In point #1 above, it specifies the maintenance fee list “current (as of 3/3/23)”, because this list has gone from something we’ve updated annually, to something we’ve recently updated as often as weekly. The inflationary economy we’ve been has resulted in the cost of most things going up. In some cases WAY up. So we provide this only as a snapshot in time. Prices are subject to change without notice.

5. We may have to suggest an outside service if our team is unable to help. There are things our team cannot do or may not have time to do. We do have a relatively skilled staff, but there are limits. Our priority does have to be the common areas and sometimes that takes all our time and focus. Depending on the nature of the work need, Mr. Handyman of Lincoln Park 312-751-2501 (fax 708-613-2244) is typically who we suggest Owners call for household basics. For electrical we suggest Dunning Electric 773-282-3330 (fax 773-282-3437) dunningelectricalservices.com. We are very fortunate to have a union plumber on staff who can address most plumbing issues if needed, but if it’s something more extensive we have other contractors to suggest as well.

Got a work ticket for us, or any question or concern? Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team at parktowercondo-mgmt@habitat.com.