Back to Glossary
Reactive Maintenance
What reactive maintenance means in multifamily operations, with an example and why it affects costs, resident experience, and planning.
Definition
Reactive maintenance is repair work performed after something breaks, fails, or a resident reports a problem. In multifamily operations, it typically enters the workflow as a work order or service request, such as a leak, appliance failure, HVAC outage, or electrical issue. It is different from preventive maintenance, which is scheduled ahead of time to reduce the chance of failure.
Example
A resident submits an emergency work order because water is leaking under the kitchen sink. The maintenance team triages the request, dispatches a technician, stops the leak, replaces the failed supply line, and documents the completed repair.
Why it matters
Reactive maintenance is unavoidable, but too much of it can strain teams, increase emergency work, disrupt residents, and make budgets harder to control. Tracking reactive work helps operations leaders identify recurring issues, improve preventive maintenance plans, and prioritize staffing, parts, and vendor support.