FAQ for current tenants
As a current tenant of ours, you may have questions. To help, here is a list of questions we've been asked regularly by other tenants.
The truth is, Brickleys has no authority with your neighbors in most cases. Even if Brickleys is the property manager of your neighbor's home, we do not have the ability to respond to domestic and/or community disturbances. Please contact the appropriate authorities (police, towing service, etc.) to deal with the situation as they are properly equipped and trained.
If you witness criminal activity or have evidence of a third party causing damage to the property you are renting, it is your responsibility to inform the police first and then Brickleys second. We can not talk to the police for you. However, we still need to know of issues concerning the property so we can document it and inform the property owner.
For any gas emergency: Clear the area immediately. Do not use any electric or electronic devices in the area. Call your gas utility company from a safe distance away.
For any water emergency: Shut off the main water supply (usually located in the laundry room or in the garage near the water heater). If water is backing up through multiple drains, call your water company or emergency plumber.
When in doubt, or for any other emergency grab a phone and dial 911.
Any general work order requests can be reported directly to us using the online Tenant Portal. You may also call your local Brickleys office.
We recommend that you always write down the exact error message for reference. Next, log out of your account and log back in. If the payment is reflected in your account balance, no further action is required. However, if your payment does not show up, contact your local Brickleys directly.
In most cases, any error dealing with a payment will be in plain English. For example: "Not a valid account number" or "Please enter a routing number". If the error is more technical or difficult to understand, it is probably concerning a problem on your computer (such as browser security errors or bad Internet connection). In rare cases, the merchant bank that processes your payments may be experiencing difficulties (usually due to severe weather). Give us a call if you have concerns.
If your payment is not showing in your account after you make a payment online, log out of your account, then log back in. Your account should reflect the appropriate balance immediately after making a successful payment. Even though your payment will show immediately on our end, the transaction may not clear your bank for 2-3 days.
If it does not reflect a payment you just made, or if you have other concerns about your balance, please contact our office.
If your payment is not showing in your account after you make a payment online, log out of your account, then log back in. Your account should reflect the appropriate balance immediately after making a successful payment.
If it does not reflect a payment you just made, or if you have other concerns about your balance, please contact our office.
If you pay using a checking account, there are no additional fees. If you use a credit card, there is a transaction fee.
To first access the Tenant Portal please contact your local Brickleys office and request a Tenant Portal activation be sent to you (if you have not already received one).
You will need to have a valid email address on file with us and use that same email address as your Tenant Portal login email.
Verify thermostat is set to cool and the temperature is set lower than room temperature.
Check to see (or hear) if the fan on the unit(s) is spinning — if not, there could be an issue with power to unit. Try resolving by resetting the electrical breakers to the air conditioning unit (leave breakers off for 1 minute to allow circuit to reset).
Check the main breaker box for the house to make sure no other circuits are tripped. Breakers do not necessarily switch all the way off when they are tripped, they are just a little loose (they are not firm and will jiggle a bit). You can reset them by switching them completely to the off position and then switching them back on firmly.
Check for a separate breaker at or near the air conditioning unit (if it's accessible and without getting on the roof). Make sure the switch is not tripped.
If it is still not working, go to weather.com and put in your zip code. If the high temperature is greater than 88 degrees, call your local office and dial the emergency line extension. Otherwise, submit a work order along with a description of the troubleshooting efforts you made, and we will follow up within one business day.
If we are still in cooler weather months, your cooler has probably not been switched over yet. Until they are switched over for Summer, evaporative coolers are disconnected and inoperable. Our vendor will contact you directly and request a service date that is convenient for you.
If your cooler has been set up for Summer, please try the following troubleshooting steps before contacting us:
Make sure a window in the house is slightly open (about an inch should work).
Check to see if there is a separate switch for the cooler pump. If so, make sure the pump is on.
Check the local weather conditions (weather.com) for the humidity in your area. The higher the humidity, the less effective an evaporative cooler will be.
If the cooler can be accessed safely, remove a side panel and check to see if water is flowing from tubes and make sure there is no debris clogging the pump.
If nothing is happening inside the cooler (fan not spinning or pump not activated), check the electrical breakers. Breakers do not necessarily switch all the way off when they are tripped, they are just a little loose (they are not firm and just jiggle a bit). You can reset them by switching them completely to the off position and then switching them back on firmly.
If it is still not working, go to weather.com and put in your zip code. If high temperature is greater than 88 degrees, call our office and dial the emergency line extension. Otherwise, submit a work order along with your troubleshooting efforts and we will follow up within one business day.
If the problem is a light not turning on, make sure you replace the bulb first.
Otherwise, if a switch or outlet is not working, many times it is related to a tripped GFCI outlet (commonly called a GFI) or tripped breaker in the breaker box. Please take a moment to check all GFI outlets (the ones that have the test and reset buttons) and make sure none of them are tripped. Fully press the reset button to accomplish this.
GFI switches are usually located in all bathroom areas, the kitchen, outside outlets and/or the garage. The most common missed GFI's are located behind storage in the garage. Also note that the problem switch or outlet may be connected to a GFI in another room, which is why it is important to check all of them.
Next, make sure no breakers are tripped in the breaker box. Look for multiple breaker boxes as A/C units, hot tubs, other large appliances, and some construction methods involve additional breaker boxes. Breakers do not necessarily switch all the way off when they are tripped, they are just a little loose (they are not firm and just jiggle a bit). You can reset them by switching them completely to the off position and then switching them back on firmly.
If you cannot find the breaker box, check outside, in the garage, behind doors and inside closets. All homes have at least one breaker box (also called a breaker panel, electrical panel or, if your home was built before the 60s, fuse box).
Please take a moment to go through this troubleshooting and let us know if you have any continued problems. Most of the time, this corrects the power issue you are reporting. In rare cases, GFI switches or breakers do get weak and will need to be replaced. In these situations, we will need to send out a vendor for a repair, please report the work order using your online account.
First step is to identify your GFCI (commonly called GFI) outlets. GFI breakers look like a regular electrical plug receptacle, but it has a reset / test button on it. These outlets are usually in the bathroom, kitchen, outside or garage (anywhere the liquid near the receptacle is a concern). Usually one of those is tripped and is the cause of several connected outlets not working. Please check for a tripped GFI and see if that solves the problem.
The most commonly missed GFI's are located behind storage in the garage. Also note that the problem switch or outlet may be connected to a GFI in another room, which is why it is important to check all of them.
Next, make sure no breakers are tripped in the breaker box. Look for multiple breaker boxes as A/C units, hot tubs, other large appliances, and some construction methods involve additional breaker boxes. Breakers do not necessarily switch all the way off when they are tripped, they are just a little loose (they are not firm and just jiggle a bit). You can reset them by switching them completely to the off position and then switching them back on firmly.
Many times a garbage disposal stops because it is jammed from a piece of hard debris that made it into the sink. After the disposal has been unplugged (look under the sink and follow the cord coming from the disposal), check the inside edges of the disposal for items caught in the edges. If you can free the items and remove them, this will likely fix the problem.
If you broke glass into the sink, please be extremely cautious and wear leather work gloves or use cooking tongs to remove the debris (again, with the disposal unplugged).
If there is something wedged that you cannot get out, we recommend you use an Allen wrench (hex key) to manually turn the disposal from underneath the disposal itself. Many times, this releases whatever object is jamming it. If you are still having trouble, document your efforts and submit a work order online.
If there is still glass and the filament sticking out, a great way to get that bulb out is with a small potato. Cut it in half and then stick it over the remaining broken part of the bulb, then spin the potato to get it out. Always wear eye protection, especially when looking up into a fixture!
Before we decide if it needs to be replaced, please try and change the battery in the remote to see if that fixes the issue. In addition, many garage door openers have a lockout that stop the remotes from working. If the light is blinking on the button of the opener motor housing, it is in lock mode. Hold down the lock button until the light stops blinking or flip the lock switch to turn the lock off. Similarly, check the opener button mounted on the wall. These will typically have a lock feature as well.
Next, check to make sure nothing is interrupting the safety beam near the overhead door opening. The safety sensor beam is usually installed a few inches off the ground and the opener will not function if something is blocking it.
In many cases, you may not need to use the remotes we provided, most new cars have a button that allows you to program the garage opener. If you do use your car as a remote, be sure to keep the remotes we provided so you can turn them in at the end of your lease.
Sometimes, this issue is a result an item blocking safety sensors. Even small items can interfere with the safety sensors ability to work properly, so please take a moment to check around the area for possible obstructions or even sunlight shining on the sensors.
Sometimes, one or both sensors will become misaligned due to being bumped or jarred. Please inspect the sensors to ensure they are both in the correct position (ex. one hasn't been knocked off the stand / wall, etc). If the sensors appear to be in the correct position, just leave them as is.
If checking the sensors has not corrected the issue, check for a broken tension spring. Many garage doors have a large coiled spring above the door, if it is snapped, your door will not be able to move. Please take a picture of the broken spring and submit a work order using your online account or calling your local office.
We get it. Some people just don't feel confident with their ability to accurately troubleshoot common household problems. There is no shame in that! However, many times it is simply from a lack of experience and support. Try searching the Internet for the problem you are facing in home upkeep. You will find a lot of helpful articles and videos online that go into greater detail about home maintenance than we do here.
You can also talk to staff at your nearby hardware store. Many can point you in the right direction with tips and tricks, and some even have free classes on home maintenance if you really want to step up your game!
Another option is to reach out to a friend or family member that is more experienced with these things. It is a great way to get hands-on support. The more knowledge and experience you have, the more confident and independent you will be! Just keep safety in mind, and when in doubt, call a professional.
If you are still not ready to tackle minor household upkeep problems, we will be happy to help. Just remember, the cost to fix issues that occur from normal everyday use of the home may not be covered by the property owner. Feel free to talk to your local Brickleys office about which service costs could be covered and which ones could be billed to you directly.