As for broken appliances it is reasonable to take action within 24-48 hours of notification. At least that is how a lease agreement can be written.

On one occasion the water heater broke, and this is how I handled the repair. Ordered a new water heater from HD and had them install it. At that time HD had some models that were eligible for life time warranty. This warranty allows for free replacement if the unit were to break again. I haven’t used the ‘free’ unit so unsure how that process works. It took about a day to resolve the water heater and the tenant did not complain. Cost wise I spent about $150 more than the lowest priced unit, but felt it was worth the additional price.

I consider a late night call about a burst water pipe an emergency requiring immediate action, while a broken appliance can wait until tomorrow. Also the agreement requires all repair requests to be emailed, and the contact phone is for true emergencies.

I am ambivalent about the home warranty… and would appreciate if someone can share their experience when a warranty was helpful.

@cube – thx for sharing your ceiling fan encounter. Hope you have fully recovered. I had not thought about such scenarios.