Triage

Triage is the process of reviewing incoming maintenance requests, categorizing them by urgency and type, and deciding what should happen next. In multifamily operations, it helps separate emergencies from routine work and route each request to the right technician, vendor, or self-service path. Good triage uses consistent criteria so teams make the same priority decisions across properties.

A resident reports water coming through a ceiling at 9 p.m. The request is triaged as an emergency leak, a supervisor is notified, and an on-call technician is dispatched immediately, while a separate request for a loose cabinet hinge is categorized as routine and scheduled for the next available maintenance window.

Triage matters because maintenance teams have limited time, labor, and vendor capacity. When requests are prioritized correctly, true emergencies get faster attention, routine work is scheduled efficiently, and teams avoid wasted trips or unnecessary vendor use. For operations leaders, consistent triage supports better response times, cost control, and resident experience across the portfolio.