How Property Managers Handle Unexpected Events
Injuries, Bad Smells And Wild Parties
Property managers are in charge of keeping buildings running smoothly, from managing rent rolls and tenant requests to ensuring appliances, elevators and amenities are operational.
But while tasks like these make up the majority of the day-to-day for property managers, often, more delicate situations arise that require their attention.
“The easiest properties to manage are the vacant ones,” said Jeffrey Lapin, CPM, ARM, and a longtime member of IREM — Institute of Real Estate Management. “But once you introduce people to the equation, injuries on a property become a distinct possibility and even a strong probability, even if the property is reasonably safe.”
Emergencies, Injuries And Death
Lapin said property managers need to anticipate injuries and even deaths on their properties and have a plan in place for what to do when that happens.
The first step of the plan, he said, should be to make sure tenants and residents know who to contact when a death or serious injury occurs. If a property manager doesn’t know about it, there’s nothing they can do.
“Let residents know, via a simple set of emergency contacts distributed to the tenants/residents with emergency phone/text contacts for the staff, that if someone is injured, they should first call 9-1-1 and then call the property manager or assistant property manager,” he said.
He added that while property managers should have first aid supplies on hand, they should not administer help unless they are properly trained. Instead, they should focus on comforting the victim and keeping everyone calm.
The second step of the plan is to meet the emergency medical services first responders at the entrance to the property and guide them to the injured party, overriding normal calls for the elevator and operating the car independently if necessary.
Paying Too Much For Insurance?
Get a FREE quote to insure your rental properties for less.
The next thing the property manager must do is fill out an incident report with all the relevant facts, witness statements, the nature of the injuries, where the injured party was transported to, the contact information for the injured person’s family and photographs, if possible, while maintaining HIPAA confidentiality, Lapin said.
“This will be invaluable if there is a legal case or insurance claim,” he said.
The final steps revolve around notifying key individuals, including the victim’s family, if possible, the property owner or property management company supervisor, and finally the property insurer, if applicable.
“All of this seems logical, and it is,” Lapin said. “But in the heat of the moment, when everyone is in emergency mode, some of these vital steps may be forgotten. That’s why IREM recommends that every property have an emergency response plan that incorporates all these steps.”
Offensive Odors
While having a plan for serious injuries should be a priority, property managers should also have a plan for unique tenant complaints like bad smells.
BELFOR Property Restoration Sales Account Manager David Holland, MBA, CPM, wrote a blog post detailing some of the common smells property managers may encounter and where they likely come from.
For example, a sewage or waste smell may be a sign of drains backing up, wet flooring, slow toilets or gurgling pipes, while a trash smell may indicate a resident is leaving trash outside their door or the trash chute is backed up. Additionally, a sweet or chemical-like smell could be an indication of a meth lab or drug use and property managers should look for strong synthetic odors, covered smoke detectors and excessive ventilation.
“In property management, smells aren’t just unpleasant — they’re warning signs,” Holland said. “A sewage backup, mold growth, or even something as serious as an unattended death can all start with a single whiff. You have to act quickly, investigate thoroughly and know when to escalate, because when something stinks, it’s probably your job to fix it.”
Wild Guests
Finally, not all problems property managers face can be planned for, and sometimes, they’re just stuck cleaning up a big mess.
2025 IREM Secretary/Treasurer and Chief Operating Officer of Bradley Company Kim Collins told of a time her team allowed an existing tenant in a downtown office building to host what they promised would be a “professional cocktail hour” in their space the afternoon of the NBA All-Star game.
“Upon arrival early the next morning, the building engineer unlocked the building to find two ‘dancers’ sitting on top of the security desk,” she said. “They had been there all night and were waiting for their ride home. We quickly determined then that it had been a full-on party on the top floor that included alcohol, drugs, sparkler fireworks, a rap concert and offices turned into private rooms.”
She said alcohol, glitter, burned-up fireworks and other unmentionables were removed and cleaned up over the next several days.
“Fortunately, we received the appropriate waivers and certificates of insurance from the tenant to cover any damages, but it was an eventful few days for our team,” she said. “The futons are still in storage after a single use, if you know anyone interested in purchasing them!” Collins joked.
Source: Bisnow
Accessibility