Any tips out there on how to handle residents that abuse emergency maintenance?

Any tips out there on how to handle residents that abuse emergency maintenance?
Lately we’ve had a lot of midnight lock outs & when the guys return the message they’ll say “I’m not home and don’t need you to come right now” or those 5:01pm calls with a “I haven’t had hot water all day” message.
Any tips will help, TIA

Do you charge for after hour lock-out calls? We do and we increased our fee and that has reduced the number of calls we get for lock-outs. Our Service Team discusses the cost up front and then they leave a note for the manager to add the charge the the resident's account.

Stop doing them if you can.

We don’t respond to after hours lock outs. At my previous property, there was a $40 fee if we showed up. The hot water thing is annoying, but there isn’t really a way around it. Yes, they should have called earlier, but they still need hot water.

We charge also for after hours lock out charge, but we have the maintenance man on duty advise them its $60.00 up front ( goes to the maintenance man ) or they can contact the locksmith and they charge $160

This is a tough one, if it falls into the category of "emergency maintenance" they need to go ahead and just do it without complaining in my opinion. Don't get in situation where you're charging/ responding to some calls and not to others. Being on call is pretty much the worst part of the job, but it is part of the job

Charge a little less than what a locksmith would charge but make sure to reward your tech as well. (I used to do gift cards)

Yes, we do charge for lockouts. Thank you all for the advice! Keep it coming, please!

I never mind being on call but when residents intentionally abuse the fact that they know we have to come out for emergencies at their leisure, it is more than annoying.

Maybe inquire your owner to consider upgrading all homes for smart lock? It has saved so many of those calls for my guys!

150$ per call, each response, pay the maintenance team a bonus for each, give them a 100 they will be more than happy to respond each time
Or tell them to call a locksmith, I do both

Charge a non emergency fee, or a trip charge

We have smart locks and no longer issue keys they get a 6 digit pin code and an app they can install on theie phone

Put out a newsletter and be direct with instructions/company policy about maintenance. Stand your ground if they try to abuse. Be consistent.

We charge $100 for our lockout fee. We come out for emergencies only. If a resident calls maintenance out for non-emergency they are charged $100. At move in, I explicitly go over what qualifies as an emergency. “Is your dishwasher leaking? Yes. Okay turn it off. Does water flow stop? Yes. Okay. Leave the dishwasher off. Clean up the water and call maintenance in the morning.”
If you don’t already include emergencies in your lease, I’d add those. As well, write up notices and post on everyone’s door. Detailing what emergencies are. Give them a 30 day notice that any false emergencies will be charged $100 fee.

For the safety of our employees, we no longer respond to after hour lock outs. All of our properties have deadbolts only, so residents must have their keys to secure their apartments. They advised that they need to call a locksmith if they claim to be locked out.

Charge a lockout fee. $60 for us. We hold firm to collecting it, and make the resident sign a form when they’re let in so they know they owe it. They usually don’t care but make an effort not to lock themselves out again.
As for the last minute 5:01 calls, it’s the job. We have the conversation with the resident and remind them not to wait to call work orders in like that, but at the end of the day- as much as it sucks- it’s what we promise them when they sign a lease with us.

We cover this in or lease. Keys are not available and we do not unlock doors. We give them are Preapproved locksmith info.
Our lease also let them know that we do not call out technicians after hours Holidays or weekends

If companies policies were clear to the residents I think it would help a lot with the BS requests. One of the places I worked had magenta with what was an emergency and the service number printed on it. As far as lock outs every place I worked had a fee paid directly to the tech but I’ve never once charged anyone. The main reason for that is fair housing laws that everyone has to have the same level of service and since I like most people too much to charge them I don’t charge as my one to be fair.
A month or two ago a lady (one of the very few nasty residents we have) called in a lock out. I had recently moved off property and told her I’d be there in about 40 minutes. She got mad and said her husband would be home in 20 minutes. That one was tough, who the hell is so entitled they would even ask someone to come out in that situation?

I had a resident who would abuse the lock out. He would call every Saturday morning at 2:00am, that he was locked out. After a few weeks I asked him why it’s always the same time. He said he goes out drinking and doesn’t want to loose his keys so he leaves them at home, as he knows we will always show up. I bought him a code lock box for him to keep a spare key in, he never called again.

Lock outs aren't an emergency it's being irresponsible. Some charge tenants we tell them to can call a locksmith.
No hot water will have to be serviced.
My maintenance men let them know a time rang that they will arrive so they won't be cute off guard.
Make a cute flyer, email, magnet, whatever that short and sweet stating what an emergency is so they can't say they didn't know (even though we say it 50 times)

Preventative maintenance is big when it comes to limiting OT calls! we also have a no lockout policy after hours when residents signed their lease. Or, you can include a $75-100 LO fee when they request for maintenance to come after hour. Also ask your team to trouble shoot it over the phone prior to coming out. Lots of time it’s either heater wasn’t on or if it’s electricity then the breaker can be reset. Residents r quick to call it in before they even take the time to investigate.

Utilize a call center like anyonehome.com
to vet your emergency maintenance calls. This way only legitimate emergencies are dispatched to the tech, and non-emergencies are sent as a standard work order (even if they call the emergency line)

I dont do lock outs. My maintenance do not know who should and should not be let into an apt. I give every move in an extra set of keys and they are explicity instructed to give these keys to someone who will get up at 3:00 in the morning to let them in because we wont. Otherwise call a locksmith.

We have an answering service after hours. They filter the calls so we only get called if it’s a true emergency. Which has been twice in a year.

Have a closing maintenance shift where the one on call works till office closes. If closes later than maintenance normally works.

Don’t do lockouts if they lost their key, that’s a problem they created and not failure or a default in an item they are renting. Just like if they damage anything else, the renter pays for it.
We always ask when the problem started and if they say it happened during business hours but now outside of business hours they need help we wait until the next business day to do the work.