When a manager runs your rental in Pittsburg, Antioch or anywhere else in East Contra Costa, the money for every repair is yours, so the decision about spending it should be yours too. The approval limit is how you keep that decision without being called about every light bulb. Owners who place a resident through lease-only service handle repairs themselves, so the limit applies to full-service management.
What is a repair approval limit?
It is a dollar amount written into your management agreement, set for each property. Below that amount, the manager orders the repair, pays the vendor from your funds and shows the cost on your monthly statement. Above it, the manager asks you first and waits for your answer before the work starts.
There is no single number that fits every home. An older house with a history of plumbing trouble may call for a different limit than a newer one. Some owners choose a low limit because they want to see almost every decision. Others choose a higher one because they would rather read the statement than answer messages. Both are reasonable choices, and the agreement should say how a limit can be changed later.
What happens inside the limit, above it, and in an emergency
Three paths cover almost every repair:
| Situation | Who decides | What you see |
|---|---|---|
| Inside your limit | The manager orders the work and pays the vendor | The itemized invoice on your monthly statement |
| Above your limit | You approve the estimate first | A request with the estimate, then the invoice after the work |
| Emergency | The manager acts the same day to make the home safe | The cost on your monthly statement |
An emergency is the case people worry about most, and it is the one the limit does not slow down. A burst pipe, no heat in cold weather, a gas smell or a lock that will not close are the kinds of problems usually treated as emergencies. At Croskey, emergencies are handled the same day and owners have 24-hour contact availability. Your agreement should say what counts as an emergency and how you are told, so there is no surprise in either direction.
What a good approval request looks like
When a repair is above your limit, the request is only as useful as what is in it. A complete request has five parts:
- What is wrong and where. One or two plain sentences, with the room and the item.
- A photo or an inspection note. Seeing the problem often answers half the questions before you ask them.
- The cost. An itemized vendor estimate, with parts and labor on separate lines.
- A recommendation. Repair now, wait, or replace, with the reason in one sentence.
- The date a decision is needed, and why. For example, a vendor's schedule or a resident who is waiting.
With all five, you can answer yes, no or "wait" in a single message. Without them, the first reply is a question, and the repair waits a day for the answer. After the work, the final invoice should match what you approved, and any difference should be explained on the statement. Our guide on what a management company can charge for maintenance shows how to read those lines, and the guide to what a management fee includes shows what is already covered before a repair is billed.
Small amounts: agree on a standing rule
A small invoice or a small credit can cost more of your time than it is worth if each one needs a separate decision. That is why many owners agree on a standing rule in writing, for example which small items the manager can handle on their own and which kinds of credits always come to you. The amount is your choice. What matters is that it is written down, so the same situation gets the same answer each time and shows up on the statement.
When a repair cannot wait: livability
Waiting on an approval does not change what the law expects when a repair affects whether a home is livable. Under California Civil Code section 1942, if a home has conditions that make it untenantable, the housing provider ought to repair them, and nothing is done within a reasonable time after written or oral notice, the resident may make the repair and deduct the cost from rent when the cost is no more than one month's rent. The resident may instead move out and be released from further rent. The remedy is not available to a resident more than twice in any 12-month period, and it does not apply when the resident's own violation of certain duties caused the condition. Acting after the 30th day following notice is presumed reasonable, and a shorter period can apply when the circumstances require it.
Seen from the owner's side, this is a good reason to settle the approval routine before a repair is needed. A clear limit and a request that arrives complete keep decisions moving, and keep both you and the resident out of that situation. Our guide on handling maintenance requests covers the resident's side of the same process, and the piece on deferred maintenance shows what a repair left waiting can become.
What to put in writing
Before you sign or renew, ask for these in your agreement:
- The repair approval limit for each property, in dollars.
- What counts as an emergency, and how you are told after one.
- What a request for approval includes, and how it reaches you (email, text or the owner portal).
- How small invoices and credits are handled.
- How a change to the limit is requested, and when it takes effect.
- Where each approval is recorded, so you can find it later.
- A yearly review of the limit, since your homes and your schedule change.
If you manage more than one home from a distance, our guide to owning East Contra Costa rentals from another city shows how the limit fits with the statement and the move-out routine.
Our read, from the operator's chair
Every maintenance request at Croskey follows four published steps. We clarify the problem by collecting details, photographs, urgency and access information. We research prior repairs, components, warranties, authorization limits and recurring signals. We coordinate by dispatching a vendor, arranging access and obtaining the required approval. Then we verify by reviewing the invoice and the evidence, confirming completion and keeping the history. For an owner, the approval happens in the third step, and the limit you chose is one of the things reviewed in the second.
In a recent case from our own files, an estimate was waiting for an answer because it had been sent through a channel the owner does not use. It was approved once the request went through the channel the owner does check. That is why the agreement should say how a request reaches you.
From where we sit, the decision that matters most happens before any of that: choosing the limit and agreeing on what a request looks like. A request that arrives with the photo, the cost and a recommendation can be answered in one message from a phone. One that arrives without them starts a conversation, and the repair waits for it. So we would rather an owner set the limit thoughtfully for each home, write down how small items are handled, and look at both again every year.
If you own rentals in East Contra Costa and want a limit that fits each of your homes, Get a landlord consultation and bring your current agreement.
General information, not legal, tax or insurance advice. Confirm the rules that apply to your property with your own advisors. Croskey Real Estate, DRE #01990430. Equal Housing Opportunity.
Frequently asked questions
What is a repair approval limit?
It is a dollar amount in your management agreement, set for each property. Below it, the manager orders the repair and pays the vendor from your funds, and you see the cost on your monthly statement. Above it, the manager asks you first and waits for your answer before the work starts.
Can a property manager make repairs without my approval?
Inside the limit you set in your agreement, the manager can order the work, and the cost appears on your statement. Repairs above the limit come to you first. Emergencies are handled the same day to make the home safe, and the cost appears on your statement.
What counts as an emergency repair?
Your agreement should define it. A burst pipe, no heat in cold weather, a gas smell or a lock that will not close are the kinds of problems usually treated as emergencies. At Croskey, emergencies are handled the same day, with 24-hour contact availability for owners.
What should a request for repair approval include?
Five things: what is wrong and where, a photo or inspection note, an itemized cost, a recommendation with a reason, and the date a decision is needed. With all five you can answer in one message, and the final invoice should match what you approved.
Can a resident deduct repair costs from rent in California?
Under Civil Code section 1942, if a home has untenantable conditions the housing provider ought to repair and nothing is done within a reasonable time after written or oral notice, a resident may make the repair and deduct the cost from rent when the cost is no more than one month's rent, or may move out and be released from further rent. The remedy is not available more than twice in any 12-month period, and acting after the 30th day following notice is presumed reasonable.
Sources
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