MAINTENANCE REQUESTS

Common Repair Issues and How to Fix Them

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Emergency Repairs (Fire, Carbon Monoxide alarm)

If this is a life-threatening emergency please call 9-1-1 from a landline or (510) 981-5911 from a cell phone.


Carbon Monoxide Alarms:

  • Carbon Monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas that may be released from gas appliances or idling cars.  Prolonged exposure to this gas may cause injury or death.
  • If your Carbon Monoxide alarm is sounding (loud, shrill beeping repeating every few seconds – different than low battery indicator which chirps once every minute with a pause in between) leave the apartment immediately and call emergency services.  Berkeley Fire will respond for free and conduct a safety inspection.
  • Please note that electric appliances do not directly produce Carbon Monoxide gas under any circumstance.  However, burning food or smoke from a kitchen fire may cause both the smoke and CO detectors to sound.
  • If Berkeley Fire makes a determination that the CO detector needs to be replaced due to faulty operation please submit a repair request so we can replace the device for residents for free.

For emergency repairs during business hours (M-F 10am-5pm) please contact our office by calling (510) 849-0882.


If the main office is closed or you are unable to reach us please submit a maintenance request on the form below and contact (877) 887-4874 to reach our after hours support service.  This number is only for emergencies that cannot be handled the next business day (major flood / water leak, no hot water, etc.)

Electricity Outages

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Gas Appliance Issues (Heater / Stove)

If your gas heater / appliance is not working or you believe there is a possible gas leak you can request a free safety inspection from PG&E by calling (800) PGE-5000.  This is a free service and PG&E technicians work 24/7 to check appliances and to relight pilot lights.  If the tech is unable to fix the appliance or recommends additional repairs please notify the main office.

Lockouts

The office may be able to provide lockout assistance when it is open (Weekdays 10am-1pm, 2-5pm) – Please call in advance first and be prepared to show a photo ID.


For lockout assistance after hours or when the office is closed please contact a licensed locksmith.  Our office recommends Rex Key & Security in Berkeley (800) 739-5397 which operates 24/7.  Please beware of scams where an online website will offer a teaser rate that starts at $25 – 50 but will quickly increase to hundreds of dollars.  All locksmiths in California must be licensed and carry a card issued by the state – ask to see this card.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The laundry room washer / dryer in our building is having ________ issue OR I was charged ‘$8.00’ for a laundry cycle

    Most of our common area laundry rooms are maintained by an outside vendor and the equipment is also owned/provided by this vendor.  Because of this, North Berkeley Properties, cannot issue refunds or send its own handymen to repair issues with laundry equipment.  Residents should check the poster in the laundry room for the proper contact phone number or website.  As a courtesy to other residents and neighbors, please leave a note on the problem machine so other residents do not encounter the same issue.


    The $8.00 charge on your credit card is a per-authorization and NOT an actual charge.  This is the most commonly reported issue and the laundry room has a poster clarifying this.  For reference please also see: WaveRider $8.00 Pre-Authorization and the informational link below.


    "Information on credit / debit card ‘preauthorization charges’ – what are they and why they are utilized by merchants to protect against fraud at restaurants, gas stations, hotels, etc.


    Pre-Authorization Charges: What are they?"


    Most of our laundry room are maintained by either:


    WASH Laundry Service Request

    WASH Laundry Refund Request


    CSC ServiceWorks Service Request

    CSC ServiceWorks Refund Request

  • Our electricity is partially out (working in one room but not the other)

    If power is out in the bathroom and/or kitchen areas please make sure that all electrical outlets are reset.  Some outlets will have small rectangular buttons in the  middle labeled ‘reset’ and ‘test’ on them.  Press the ‘reset’ button to see if this solves the issue.  Sometimes it may take a bit of pressure to to press the ‘reset’ button.


    If all outlets are reset and power is still out please look for the circuit breaker banel.  Circuit breakers are usually located on a wall in the hallway of your apartment or inside a closet in a bedroom or living room (they can often be hidden behind clothes/items).  Reset the breaker by turning the switch off then back on to reset the circuit.  NOTE: tripped breakers have to be reset by first turning them off then back on.  You cannot reset a tripped breaker by just pushing it back on.


    Why do breakers / outlets trip?

    This often occurs due to electrical overload but may sometimes be related to a faulty appliance.  Running a high number of appliances that generate heat or use electrical coils (eg: hair dryer, toaster oven, rice cooker, microwave, curling iron, etc.) on the same circuit will often cause this issue.  Try relocating the appliance to another circuit and/or running at different intervals to prevent future issues.

  • Our electricity is out for our entire apartment

    Please check your circuit breakers (see above) to see if this solves the issue.  If not, you may wish to call PG&E to check if there is a local power outage.  Residents can report and check the status of a power outage by calling 800-PGE-5000

  • The smoke detector / carbon monoxide detector is beeping once every minute

    This is an indicator function of safety devices to alert you that the battery is running out.  Smoke detectors generally use a standard 9V battery while CO detectors use AA or AAA batteries.  If you are unable to reach the device due to height please contact the office so our maintenance team can send someone over to replace the batteries.


    WARNING: Disconnecting the devices or removing the batteries is a serious safety issue.  DO NOT disable these safety devices.  Please contact the office if battery replacement is needed.

  • My air conditioning is not working

    None of the units managed by North Berkeley Properties have built-in air conditioning units.  If you have a wall thermostat and see an option for the ‘fan’ or ‘air conditioner’ that does not mean your unit has air conditioning.  Most thermostats sold in hardware stores can control both heating units and air conditioning units.

  • I dropped ______ down the elevator shaft

    It happens more often than you think!  Airpods, keys, phones, etc. have all accidentally fallen down an elevator shaft.  Residents should use caution when entering / exiting elevator cars to prevent lost items.  Cal OSHA prohibits residents or our maintenance team from crawling or entering into elevator shafts.  These are confined spaces that only trained elevator technicians can enter.  Most of our elevators are serviced and inspected monthly by our vendor (Paramount Elevator of Oakland).  We can request that they look for lost items in the shaft during these regular service calls (no cost to residents).  Residents that need items retrieved immediately can hire them directly.  Please be advised that elevator tech hourly rates are $175+ per hour with 1-hour minimum.

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