You will find various resources useful to the healthy maintenance and safety of the rental property on this page.
Appliances
Appliance not working properly? Window air conditioner not blowing cool air? Garbage disposal not working?
ACTION STEPS:
If the functionality of an appliance is in question, follow these steps:
- Call and/or Email the Landlord or Property Managers and report the situation or particular issue. We will either come by and solve the problem ourselves or call in additional professionals to solve the problem.
- Discontinue use of the appliance if safety is in question.
- Occasionally permission will be given to directly call a professional to service the issue like:
Advanced Appliance Services
712 East 6th Avenue, Stillwater, OK 74074-3736
405.372.3054
Water and Plumbing Related
To conserve water and keep your utility bills down, make sure all faucets and hoses on the house are shut-off before leaving for vacation, out for the weekend, or even on your way to run errands or head to class.
Not draining? Water backing up?
ACTION STEPS:
If water backs up in the shower, tub, sink, or other location, check and try the following:
- Shut off water (for toilets, the shut off is typically behind and near the base of toilet.)
- Make sure no waste or debris is visibly clogging that particular drain. Often a drain partially clogged with hair or other debris will be slow to drain.
- Remove any visible waste or debris from the drain. If problem is not solved continue on.
- Use a plunger and plunge the drain. Make sure to press firmly and get adequate pressure, the goal is to force air down the drain to force the blockage loose and allow water to flow freely again.
- If plunging the drain does not work, check another area of the house to see if the problem is localized only to one area. If multiple drains are backing up then the problem is somewhere in one of the main lines. Call the landlord and report the issue.
- Call and/or Email the Landlord or Property Managers and report the situation or particular issue. We will either come by and solve the problem ourselves or call in additional professionals to solve the problem.
- Occasionally permission will be given to directly call a professional to service the issue.
Winter Weather Preparation and Precautions
Temperatures in the teens and maybe single digits could spell disaster for your home if you’re not ready.
IMPORTANT: When temperatures reach 25°F or below, follow the below precautions, most important one is to start dripping or running your faucets.
Prevent Your Pipes From Freezing
- Disconnect all gardening hoses and install covers on all outside faucets.
- Keep your house temperature at 68 degrees or higher, even if you’re leaving the house for an extended period of time.
- Open cabinet doors below sinks to allow heat from the home to circulate.
- Identify the location of the main water valve and the valve on your water heater. (Learning the location of these valves may come in handy during an emergency.)
- Wrap pipes nearest exterior walls and in crawl spaces with pipe insulation or with heating tape. This can prevent freezing, especially for interior pipes that run along outside walls.
- Close all windows near water pipes; cover or close open-air vents. Freezing temperatures combined with wind drafts can cause pipes to freeze more frequently.
- Heat your basement and consider weather sealing your windows.
- Insulate outside walls and unheated areas of your home.
- If you plan to be away from home for an extended period of time, shut off water supply valves to your washing machine.
Monitor Freezing Pipe Conditions
- Allow a faucet to drip slightly (lukewarm water) in order to minimize freezing.
- The first sign of freezing is reduced water flow from a faucet.
- Check your faucets for water flow and pressure before you go to sleep and again when you wake up.
- Check pipes around your water meter, in unheated areas, near exterior walls and in crawl spaces.
- These tend to be vulnerable to freezing conditions.
- Identify cold air drafts coming in from a flue or chimney chase and caulk gaps that are near pipes.
If a Pipe Freezes
- If a faucet or pipe inside your house freezes, you can thaw it using a good hair dryer. (For safety purposes, avoid operating a hair dryer around standing water.)
- To thaw a frozen pipe, heat water on the stove, soak towels in the hot water and wrap them around cold sections of the pipes.
- When thawing a pipe, start thawing it nearest to the faucet. Make sure the faucet is turned on so that melted water can drip out.
If a Pipe Bursts
- Shut off water at the main valve.
- If the break is in a hot water pipe, the valve on top of the water heater should be closed.
- Call and/or Email the Landlord or Property Managers and report the situation or particular issue.
- Call a plumber. Keep an emergency number nearby for quick access.
Fire Safety & Fire Related
To ensure the safety of both yourself, your friends, area residents, the property, and house, it is essential to follow proper procedures if you plan to have a fire. Starting fires, or burning anything on the rental properties is strictly prohibited if the procedures deemed by the Stillwater Fire Department are not adhered to properly.
View the Stillwater Fire Department’s policies:
Controlled Burning Inside Stillwater
Is there a fire? Did you see something catch on fire or do you see smoke that may be a fire?
ACTION STEPS:
If you see a fire, smoke indicative of a fire, or an accident has occurred that started a fire:
- Call 911 immediately.
- Call Stillwater Fire Department at 405 742 8308. Website: http://stillwater.org/fire/
- Call and Email the Landlord or Property Managers second.
Trash & Waste Related
Keep trash and litter picked up at all times. Fines and other related fees will occur if the place is not keep clean. View Stillwater’s Waste Management page for information on when trash pickup occurs:
Stillwater Waste Management
Heating Units and Central Heating and/or Air Conditioners
Contact us to see what you need to do.