Maintenance emergency checker

Pick what the tenant reports. The checker says whether Roundhouse answers it as an emergency, 24 hours a day, or books it in office hours, and gives the reason. If anyone is in danger, call 911 first. If you smell gas, leave the building and call 911 from outside.

Checked 2026-10-03

Sort a report

Answered 24/7 as emergencies: Plumbing, electrical, major appliance and heating or cooling failures, lockouts, and a door that will not lock. If anyone is in danger, or you smell gas, leave and call 911 first.

The tenant reports	Class	Why
Water they cannot stop	Emergency	A plumbing failure. Water spreads by the hour and reaches the units below.
Sewage or a drain backing up into the unit	Emergency	A plumbing failure, and sewage in a unit is a health risk.
No water at all	Emergency	A plumbing failure. Hot or cold water is also a vital service under section 2 of the Residential Tenancies Act.
No hot water	Emergency	A plumbing failure. Hot water is a vital service under section 2 of the Residential Tenancies Act.
No electricity to the unit	Emergency	An electrical failure. Electricity is a vital service under section 2 of the Residential Tenancies Act.
An outlet, switch or panel that sparks, smells of burning or is hot	Emergency	An electrical failure. If there is smoke or fire, call 911 first.
No heat	Emergency	A heating failure. Answered as an emergency all year. From September 1 to June 15 heat is also a vital service under O. Reg. 516/06, and in Toronto the unit must hold 21 degrees from October 1 to May 15 where the landlord pays for heat.
Air conditioning the landlord supplies has stopped	Emergency	A cooling failure. Answered as an emergency all year. From June 1 to September 30 Toronto also requires air conditioning the landlord provides to hold the unit at 26 degrees or less.
A fridge, stove or other major appliance has stopped	Emergency	A major appliance failure.
Locked out, or a door that will not lock	Emergency	A lockout, or a door that will not lock. An unsecured unit puts the tenant and their belongings at risk.
A dripping tap or a running toilet	Routine	Contained, with no failure of the system. Booked in office hours with 24 hours written notice.
A drain that is slow but still empties	Routine	The drain still works. Booked in office hours with 24 hours written notice.
A cosmetic mark or a loose handle	Routine	Booked in office hours with 24 hours written notice.

The two classes

Emergency, answered 24/7A plumbing, electrical, major appliance, heating or cooling failure, a lockout or a door that will not lock.
Routine, booked in office hoursEverything else, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, with 24 hours written notice to the tenant.

What the law fixes

The Residential Tenancies Act does not define an emergency. It does list the vital services: hot or cold water, fuel, electricity, gas and, from September 1 to June 15, heat. Toronto adds a 21 degree minimum from October 1 to May 15 where the landlord pays for heat, and a 26 degree maximum from June 1 to September 30 where air conditioning is provided.

Answering fast is not the same as entering without notice. Section 26 allows entry for a repair without written notice only in an emergency or with the tenant's consent at the time.

We only use ECRA/ESA-Licensed Electrical Contractors.

Not a dispatch line

This page sorts a report. It does not send anyone. See what counts as a maintenance emergency and what happens after hours.

Method

Each report maps to one class, and the class does not change with the date. Roundhouse answers these as emergencies, 24 hours a day: Plumbing, electrical, major appliance and heating or cooling failures, lockouts, and a door that will not lock. Everything else is routine and booked in office hours, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.

The date changes only the legal note on two reports:

No heatHeat is a vital service from September 1 to June 15 under O. Reg. 516/06.
Air conditioning the landlord suppliesToronto sets a 26 degree maximum from June 1 to September 30.

Worked example

No heat reported on October 20: emergency. Heat is also a vital service on that date, and Toronto's 21 degree minimum applies where the landlord pays for heat.
The same report on July 10: still an emergency, answered 24/7. Heat is not a vital service on that date.
A dripping tap: routine on any date.

Questions

Which reports does Roundhouse answer at night?

Plumbing, electrical, major appliance, heating and cooling failures, lockouts and a door that will not lock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Anything else sent after hours is booked the next business day.

Does an emergency mean the trade can walk in without notice?

No. The class sets how fast we answer. Entry is a separate rule. Under section 26 of the Residential Tenancies Act, the landlord may enter for a repair without written notice only in an emergency or when the tenant consents at the time of entry. A stopped fridge is answered at once, and the visit happens with the tenant's consent or on 24 hours written notice.

Does the class change with the date?

No. A heating or cooling failure is answered as an emergency all year. The date changes the legal note: heat is a vital service from September 1 to June 15, and Toronto's cooling limit runs from June 1 to September 30.

Sources

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