Leasing a luxury apartment does come with its perks, but some of those perks can cause a few more issues that management needs to tend to. What do you do if you have problems with the apartment that needs repair? If things are handled properly, your management personnel can make the necessary repairs quickly and efficiently. If they don't, you have good standings to break the lease early and hold the management team accountable for your inconvenience. So, how do you handle the request for repairs?

Read your Lease

Your lease should explain exactly how the management wants repair requests handled. Unfortunately, not every lease will explain this issue in detail and will simply state that the tenant is responsible for the upkeep of the good condition of the apartment – meaning keeping things clean.

Call Management

Your first step for requesting repairs should be a call to the management team. Explain exactly what the issue is that you are having. If the problem makes living in the apartment impossible or further damage could be sustained by the problem, like a plumbing leak in the wall, be sure to clarify the severity of the issue so that it can be addressed quickly.

Send a Certified Letter

If, after a few days, your call to management didn't help, your next step is to write a letter to the management team. This letter should clearly state what problems you are having, the fact that you had called a couple days prior and a note that the repairs had not yet been made.

Send this letter by certified mail. This will prove that the management team received the letter and help you if the situation worsens and you end up in court.

Contact a Lawyer

Sadly, not every management team follows the laws in place to protect tenants. If your repairs are not made after the call and the certified letter, contact a lawyer. He or she handles situations such as this all of the time and will know what legal action to take. It could just take a nudge from a lawyer to get your management team motivated to make the repairs.

Never Withhold Rent

Your first thought may be to withhold the rent until the repairs are made – don't do this! Withholding rent will only make you look bad if things go to court. Sure, you have the right to do so, but it can make beating the management team in court more difficult. If you continue to pay your rent in full on time and the repairs aren't made, your lawyer may be able to get you some of your money back if things go to court.

Always keep the line of communication open with the management team. The better you communicate the problems you are having, the better job the management team can do to get the repairs made quickly.