Property management · Maintenance questions

Maintenance request questions: a form for every kind of repair

A technician who knows what they’re walking into fixes it in one visit. These are the six questions to ask on every repair call, then the extra questions for each kind of problem, with the reason for each. Copy the form for your team, your resident portal or your virtual receptionist.

Last updated October 25, 2026

Six questions for every request

Asked in this order. The first one decides whether the rest of the call is a work order or an emergency.

Questions to ask on every maintenance request, and why
Ask	Why
“Is anything leaking, sparking or smelling of gas right now?”	Catches the emergency before the routine questions. A yes goes straight to your emergency rules.
“What’s your address and unit?”	Obvious, and still the detail most often missing from a voicemail.
“What’s happening, in your own words?”	The resident’s words go on the work order unchanged; a technician reads more in them than in a category.
“When did it start, and has it happened before?”	Tells a new fault from a repeat one, which may need a different trade or a supervisor.
“May a technician enter if nobody is home?”	Saves a second trip. Your written notice rules still apply.
“Any pets, or anything the technician should know?”	Protects the technician and the pet.

The extra questions, by kind of repair

Two to four more, depending on what the resident reports. Each one changes either the urgency or what the technician brings.

Extra maintenance request questions by type of repair
Repair	Ask	Why
Plumbing	“Where is the water coming from?” “Is it still running?” “Can you reach the shut-off valve?” “Is it clean water or sewage?”	Running water or sewage makes it an emergency; the source tells the plumber what to bring.
Heat and cooling	“Is there no heat at all, or is it just not warm enough?” “What does the thermostat say?” “One room or the whole home?”	No heat in cold weather is an emergency on most lists, and some cities set minimum temperatures.
Electrical	“Is anything sparking, hot or smelling of burning?” “One outlet, one room or the whole home?” “Do your neighbours have power?”	Sparks or a burning smell are a safety call; one dead outlet is routine; a dark street is the utility’s.
Appliances	“Which appliance, and what is it doing?” “Do you know the brand?” “Is water or gas involved?”	The brand lets the technician bring the right part; water or gas changes the urgency.
Doors, locks and windows	“Does it close and lock?” “Is it a door or window into the home?”	A home that can’t be locked is an emergency; a sticking closet door isn’t.
Pests	“What kind, and where have you seen them?” “Since when?” “Have neighbours mentioned them?”	The kind decides the contractor; neighbours’ sightings suggest treating more than one unit.
Mold and moisture	“Where is it, and about how big?” “Is there a leak nearby, or a lot of condensation?”	A running leak behind it is the urgent part; the size tells you whether it needs a specialist.
Common areas	“Which building, which floor, exactly where?” “Is it a hazard, like a broken step or a dark stairwell?”	Common-area work orders go to the building, not a unit; hazards move to the top.

Which of these are emergencies is set out in the emergency maintenance triage table.

The request form, ready to copy

Use it as the script for whoever answers your maintenance line, as the questions on your resident portal form, or in your agent.

In the 365vox portal, the six questions go in step 3, Questions to ask, and the extra questions go in step 9, Business rules, so your agent asks the right ones for each kind of repair.

Maintenance request form

Every request:
1. Is anything leaking, sparking or smelling of gas right now? (If yes: emergency rules.)
2. What’s your address and unit?
3. What’s happening, in your own words?
4. When did it start, and has it happened before?
5. May a technician enter if nobody is home?
6. Any pets, or anything the technician should know?

Then, by kind of repair:
- Plumbing: Where is the water coming from? Is it still running? Can you reach the shut-off valve? Is it clean water or sewage?
- Heat and cooling: Is there no heat at all, or is it just not warm enough? What does the thermostat say? One room or the whole home?
- Electrical: Is anything sparking, hot or smelling of burning? One outlet, one room or the whole home? Do your neighbours have power?
- Appliances: Which appliance, and what is it doing? Do you know the brand? Is water or gas involved?
- Doors, locks and windows: Does it close and lock? Is it a door or window into the home?
- Pests: What kind, and where have you seen them? Since when? Have neighbours mentioned them?
- Mold and moisture: Where is it, and about how big? Is there a leak nearby, or a lot of condensation?
- Common areas: Which building, which floor, exactly where? Is it a hazard, like a broken step or a dark stairwell?

The extra questions at work

A pest call. Three follow-up questions turn “I saw a mouse” into a work order the right contractor can act on.

Sample call · Northside Property Management (example company)

AI receptionistThanks for calling Northside Property Management. I’m an AI assistant. This call is recorded and transcribed so we can handle your request. How can I help you today?
CallerI saw a mouse in my kitchen last night.
AI receptionistI can take that request. Is anything leaking, sparking or smelling of gas right now?
CallerNo, nothing like that.
AI receptionistWhat’s your address and unit?
Caller1450 Lake Avenue, unit 2B.
AI receptionistWhere have you seen signs of mice, and since when?
CallerDroppings under the sink for about a week, and the mouse last night.
AI receptionistHave any neighbours mentioned mice?
CallerActually, yes, the people in 2C did.
AI receptionistThank you, that helps. May a technician enter if nobody is home?

Build it yourself

Put the form in your agent

Three steps of the 365vox portal. Questions are asked in the order you list them, up to 20.

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You set all of this yourself in the 365vox portal, on the Customize screen. Everything saves as you type; then you submit, test the agent with a real call and activate it.

Customize · your agent

Step 3, Questions to askThe six questions for every request, in order.
Step 9, Business rulesAsk the extra questions for the kind of repair the resident reports: then paste the list by kind of repair from the form above.
Step 8, Call notificationsYour maintenance inbox, so every request arrives as one complete email.

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Live answering services usually sell monthly plans of minutes or calls. 365vox is an AI virtual receptionist that answers forwarded calls on the first ring, day and night, follows your approved answers and costs $0.75 a minute, billed by the second, with no plan.

The virtual receptionist, minus the call center

Maintenance request questions FAQs

What should a maintenance request include?

Whether anything is leaking, sparking or smelling of gas; the address and unit; the problem in the resident’s words; when it started; permission to enter; and pets. Then two to four questions for that kind of repair.

What’s the most important question on a maintenance call?

The safety one, asked first: is anything leaking, sparking or smelling of gas right now? It turns an emergency into the right call before anyone asks for a unit number.

Should residents call or use an online form?

Both work. A form or portal is better for photos; a phone call catches emergencies and gets the follow-up questions answered. The same questions should be on both.

How do you get better descriptions from residents?

Ask for the problem in their own words, then the specific follow-ups for that kind of repair. “The sink” becomes “water under the kitchen sink, only when the dishwasher runs”.

Should residents be asked to troubleshoot?

Only simple steps you approve, such as closing a shut-off valve or keeping the fridge door closed. Anything more is a job for the technician.

What if a resident won’t allow entry when they’re out?

Record it, and book the visit for a time they’re home. Your written notice rules apply either way.

Can I use this form on our resident portal?

Yes. Copy it as it is, or keep the six questions for every request and add the ones for the kinds of repair your portal offers.

How many questions are too many?

Six for every call and two to four for the kind of repair. Beyond that, the detail is better gathered by the technician on site.

Every repair request, complete the first time.

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