Topic: Tenant Alarms

How do you handle tenant alarm system to prevent setting off a false alarm?

Do you reimburse tenants for false alarm charges?

Any type of tagging system?

One tenant claims we have set her alarm off 8 times in the past 9 months. She has a lot of calls for service, too.

She claims her checking account over-drafted the last time her alarm company charged her $99 draft for the last one we set off. She wants us to pay over-draft fees and the $99 alarm fee.

I have marked the tags "ALARM." What do you do?

Thanks!

Sandy ;)

Writing that it has an alarm doesn't seem to be catching maintenance's attention. Get a keychain, something bright and unmistakable, maybe a big red stop sign, or neon colors, you can use one color for pet homes, another for alarms.

The other option is keeping a unit profile card that goes with the maintenance tickets, lists the unit, resident, pets, etc. and highlight the important things.

With regards to crediting the tenant, it depends on what the lease has in it. If you have a clause or addendum for security systems, check there first, you may not be responsible.

Has this been reported to you before, if not, well I'm so sorry that it happened and thank you for bringing this to our attention ... it will be addressed.

If it's been reported in writing to you before... then maybe go half on it if you don't have any exclusions on the lease.

Do you have cameras in the areas?

Our main issue is the person who prints the work orders doesn't know who has alarms. I haven't found a place in Appfolio to put it so it will show up on the work order.

I'm going to try to find different color tags for those with alarms.

We have 2 maintenance techs, one though the other called for an appointment.

I was thinking of a special door hanger to let maintenance know it is OK to enter. Sometimes the work order is put in on one day and we don't get to it until 2 days later.

It just seems like a lot of trouble for us. Has to be something simpler.

We always set up an override code so all personnel can enter for inspection, work order purposes and if the alarm is set, we unset it with our code. Then when we leave, we reset it with our code. No false alarms. Is this not possible for your systems?