Maintenance in Grand Rapids

Phone: (616) 913-9004 | Email: Maintenance@american-realty.com

Maintenance Portal

To Be Better Assisted, We Need The Following!

Log into Property Meld; if you haven’t registered:

Click Here

Once in your account…

  • Take as many pictures as necessary and give as much detail as you can.
  • By submitting the Meld, you are agreeing our techs have permission to enter.
  • If you have a pet, please let us know on the Meld so our techs can ensure they are cautious when opening the door for their own protection. In addition, if you will not be home all animals need to be secured.

Have an Emergency?

For EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, Please call our 24/7 Emergency Service Line at (616) 913-9004 and follow the prompts.

EmergencyHigh PrioritiesLow PrioritiesDo it yourself

Emergency

Emergency maintenance issues are those considered threats to life, property, and alter the immediate habitability of the home. Tenants incur a $50.00 charge for calling the emergency line when the situation does not warrant its use.

The following are considered emergency issues:

  • Gas leaks

    (Resident should call DTE at 800-947-5000 additionally)

  • Fire

    (Residents should call 911 FIRST)

  • Water leaks
  • Sewage back-up

    (multiple drains backing up or water flooding lower levels)

  • Security of the home

    (i.e. break-ins, unsecure front door, broken windows, etc.)

  • Loss of Heat

    (during winter – thermostat reading below 55 degrees)

  • Loss of A/C

    (during summer – thermostat reading above 85 degrees)

  • No hot water

    (water heater out or water pipes frozen during winter)

  • No electricity due to an internal problem in the property, not a mass outage.
  • Tenant locked out of property

    (electronic lock malfunction)

  • Miscellaneous issues affecting health, safety or habitability of home
  • Smoke alarms continuously sounding alarm and are out of reach of a standard step stool

The following are NOT considered emergency issues:

  • Clogged toilet

    (UNLESS there is only one toilet in the home – though tenants will still be charged $125 for the service and call as this issue is tenant responsibility)

  • Pest control

    (i.e. mice, bats, bees, raccoons, etc.) – UNLESS deemed to be life-threatening

  • Oven malfunction
  • Microwave malfunction
  • Ripped window screen
  • Torn blinds
  • Leaky tub spout or faucet fixture – UNLESS excessive

High Priorities

  • Inoperative appliances

    (i.e. broken refrigerator, non-functional freezer, broken dishwasher, etc.)

  • Clogged kitchen sinks

    (i.e. build up of food, fat and grease, disposal blade jam, etc.)

  • Inoperative coded locks

    Door codes not working? Let us know and we can have a tech on your way to manually unlock it!

  • Anything causing progressive damage to the property

    Moisture problems, crumbling exterior, and other damages that could cause continuous damage to the property.

  • Active water leaks from drains or faucets

    Loose seals and water damage that needs to be addressed ASAP.

  • Exterior damage to home, siding or shingles

    Wind damage, crumbling brick, falling and broken panels, and much more that needs to be taken care of.

Low Priorities

  • Interior doors or cabinets not closing properly

    Missing screws, loose doors, faulty cabinets, etc.

  • Torn screens

    Torn window and door screens making them inoperable.

  • Broken blinds

    Broken or missing individual blinds that need to be replaced.

Do It Yourself

  • Pest control

    With any pest control, the first and best defense is to keep a clean home. This includes keeping unrefrigerated food securely wrapped, cleaning crumbs and food residue from all surfaces, do not leave dirty dishes in the sink, put pet food out only at feeding time, keeping trash secured and taken out regularly.

    Ants – purchase bait traps from local hardware or grocery store and follow directions
    Mice – purchase bait and/or traps from local hardware or grocery store and follow directions
    Bats – if it is only 1 bat inside the home, open a door or window and they should fly out quickly

  • Light bulbs

    Light bulbs are replaced between tenancies. During the lease period they are the responsibility of the resident unless they are higher than what can be reached with a standard step ladder or require special tools to disassemble.

  • Slow drains

    Can be unclogged with a drain snake from local grocery or hardware stores. Draino and other drain cleaners are not recommended as they may damage pipes.

  • Batteries

    Smoke detector batteries are checked and replaced between tenancies. If they need to be replaced, they can be purchased from local hardware or grocery stores.

FAQs

No, each unit is gone through and repaired so everything works when you move in.

There is only one kind of harmful black mold, all others can be killed with bleach and paper towels.

If you caused the issue/ damage, yes, if it’s from age of item or failure, no.

Unfortunately, no, because we don’t want to be liable if the set were to fall.

You can request work by putting a work order through your tenant portal.

No, with your permission, we can enter your unit and take care of the issue without your home.

It all depends on the severity of the problem. Active water leaks and sewer backups take precedent over most things. Usually within a day of the request being submitted, we will have one of our technicians assess the problem. If it requires an outside vendor, it will depend on their schedules.

Residents are only billed for damage done by them to a property such as holes in walls or clogged waste pipes. If it was for a non-emergency related issue that was called in on the emergency line, it could be billable.

Anything that affects the immediate habitability of the home such as flooding, active water leaks, or loss of heat.

We work very hard between tenancies to make sure the property is spotless and free of pests. Insect eggs can be attached to furniture or clothing that are brought in from second-hand stores, other people’s homes or even hotels. Mice will get in and stay if there is a food supply. Keeping all food, including what’s in your pet’s dish, sealed and stored is the best way to prevent them from making your house theirs.

Reviews

If you’d like to learn more about our properties and what it’s like to work with American Realty, get in touch. We’d be happy to talk more about our rental properties, our application requirements, and our leasing process!