The Maintenance Staff at The Courtyards endeavors to make your apartment a comfortable place to call home. As with any home, sometimes things break or stop working. When this occurs, our Maintenance team does their best to solve the issue within 24-48 hours of the work order being received. For more information on placing a work order and The Courtyards efforts to maintain the conditions of our community, please see below.

Completing A Work Order

A work order is a formal written request for a maintenance technician to repair a problem in your apartment. By submitting a work order, you are giving Courtyards Maintenance staff and/or a Courtyards appointed contractors like those hired at https://www.pestcontrolexperts.com/local/nebraska/.

To submit a work order, log in to your Resident Portal. This is the system used to inform Courtyards staff of anything needing to be fixed. Our staff proudly strives to address concerns as quickly as possible, however please remember that it may take approximately 48 hours for your work order to be completed.

When completing a maintenance ticket, please be as detailed as possible. For example, “Dryer is not heating” is much more informative than “Dryer broken”. This kind of specific information will help the maintenance technician to diagnose the problem and complete your repair in a timely fashion. If a repair is not complete within two business days, log on to the Resident Portal to see an update.  There will be notes in the work order record showing additional information. If the information does not answer your questions, please call the management office to speak with the maintenance department. Please do not file multiple maintenance tickets for the same repair.

Preventive Maintenance

Occasionally, a preventive maintenance technician will post a notice to enter the residents’ apartments in order to perform preventive maintenance on the apartment systems. Their checklist includes tasks such as: changing the air filter in the HVAC system, checking the water temperatures of the bathtubs, checking air flow temperatures from vents, checking the plumbing for leaks, and cleaning the HVAC coil. When this notice is received, residents must make sure that all required areas are accessible for the technician.

The Courtyards also provides a preventive maintenance pest control program. Each apartment will receive preventive pest control services twice a year. It is very important that the apartment be clean at the time of this service. Residents should plan to clean the apartment when they receive the notice of entry. The treatment consists of fast-drying gel bait; no sprays will be used for the preventive treatment.

Appliance Operation & Care

Dishwasher

Make sure dishes—including cups and glasses—are scraped and free of food before placing them in the racks. Food particles left on dishes will jam the dishwasher. The disposal unit is not connected to the dishwasher. Do not crowd dishes, cups, glasses, or silverware. Crowding impedes water circulation. For maximum cleaning efficiency, avoid covering the center hole in the lower rack. Use only automatic dishwashing productsPlease do not use dish soap or laundry detergent. They will block the washing action, clog outlets, damage the motor, cause the unit to overflow, and deposit scum on the dishes and glasses. Damages are billable to the resident.   You will save power by waiting to run your dishwasher until you have a full load. However, do not leave soiled dishes in the dishwasher for a long period or you may attract unwanted insects.

Electric Range and Range Hood

The key to keeping a kitchen range operating properly is to clean it regularly. Clean up spills soon after they occur. Some acidic foods, such as tomato products, can damage the surface of the cooktop and interior of the oven. Cleaning the range with regular dish soap and warm water is all that is required—no chemicals are necessary.

Washer / Dryer

Washing machines may come in different sizes and shapes, but ultimately have the same features and purposes. They all require the proper settings, soap, water and clothes to wash. Yet, there are a few things you should know in order to properly use a washing machine:

Load your clothes loosely in the washing machine. Load the laundry up to the top row of holes in the tub. Do not overload as it can cause the machine to malfunction. Area rugs of any type are not permitted in the washing machines or the dryers. This includes bathroom rugs.

Garbage Disposal

Do not discard the following items in your disposal:

Metal, glass, plastic, grease, paper, bones, banana peels, shells of any kind, rags, potato peels, celery, or asparagus.

NOTE: If you cannot chew it, neither can your disposal.

If a spoon, bottle cap, or other foreign item becomes lodged in the disposal, DO NOT attempt to retrieve it. Please follow the necessary steps in filing a work order and Maintenance will respond within 24-48 hours.

Microwave

Your new microwave not only saves energy; it helps prevent air pollution and saves money, frequently with better performance.   Microwave ovens are a great convenience in the kitchen, and here is an easy way to clean them. With a damp cloth, wipe the interior of the microwave. Wash tray in the sink with dish soap. Dry and return to microwave.

Energy Efficient Features

Fluorescent Lighting

Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last 10 times longer than a standard bulb and use at least two-thirds less energy.

Sinks and Bathtubs

Scouring pads that are made with polyethylene, nylon or contain no abrasives may be used. CAUTION: The use of rubber or plastic mats is not recommended. If used, do not leave mat on the tub bottom after use because of possible surface degradation.

Adjustable thermostats

While lowering the temperature of your thermostat a few degrees during your apartment’s occupied hours is helpful in terms of energy conservation, it’s at night and when you’re away from the apartment that you can turn down the thermostat even more, thus significantly reducing your energy usage.

Damage Charges/Appeals

Damage charges may be appealed by the resident under the following circumstances:

  • The charge was applied in error
  • The Resident has additional information / documentation regarding responsible party
  • A resident is taking responsibility for charges applied to another account
      • Responsible party must select “Claim Charge Responsibility” below.

*Appeals will not be accepted from guarantors or any other party on behalf of the resident. Each resident must appeal his/her own damage. Appeals will not be accepted from an individual on behalf of all residents in an apartment.

*Be sure to have all information and documentation completely assembled prior to submission. Multiple appeals will not be accepted for the same charge.

Click on the “Appeal” button to submit the charge appeal form. All fields must be completed. Please be as detailed as possible to aid our staff in accurately investigating your concerns. Where possible, please include dates, times, work order numbers, or any other documentation available. You must describe the specific damage(s)/charge(s) you are appealing and your justification of why you are not responsible for them. We urge all residents to reference their lease prior to submitting an appeal.

If a resident wishes to claim responsibility for charges assessed to another account, please click on the “Claim Charge Responsibility” button below. It is also highly recommended that the individual whose account was charged also submit an appeal and indicate who is taking responsibility for the charges.

An email will be sent within 48 business hours to confirm the appeal has been received. The resident will be contacted once a decision has been reached. The process can range from 7 to 30 days depending on current volume and the complexity of the appeal investigation. During this time, any documentation on file will be referenced in conjunction with resident-submitted documentation.

Please note: submission of an appeal does not negate the resident’s responsibility to pay. Should the resident be found not responsible for the charge, a credit will be issued, and a refund mailed (for past residents). Accounts not paid in accordance to the lease and its deadlines are subject to submission to collection agency and credit reporting. The accounting and appeals processes are independent. Payment of your charge does not influence the outcome of an appeal in any way.

Claim Charge Responsibility

Appeal

Room Condition Report

For your protection, upon move-in, you are encouraged to assess the condition of your bedroom and common area of your apartment, and then to complete a Room Condition Report (RCR), online, documenting the condition of your space at the time of move-in.   This documentation is considered when assessing the condition of the apartment at move out. The Courtyards does not wish to charge residents for damages they did not cause. Upon move-out, an inspection of your apartment is completed comparing the condition at move-in with the condition at move-out to determine damage charges.  If you do not complete and submit an RCR, your room and apartment will be inspected with the assumption that all items and furniture were in satisfactory condition with no damage at your move-in. Please log on to your Resident Portal to complete your RCR within seven (7) business days of checking in.  To complete the form:

  • Assess the condition of your unit overall including, but not limited to, walls, carpet/flooring, furniture, appliances and bathroom fixtures.
  • Select the appropriate condition box and add descriptions of any damage that exist in your unit.  Be as specific as possible using numbers, dimensions and descriptions.  For example, if your kitchen counter has ‘The Courtyards’ written in the laminate, you might write 2 inch The Courtyards written near sink in the move-in column in the kitchen section next to “counter”.
  • Submit the completed RCR and print or e-mail yourself a copy for your records.

If you have any questions about how to complete the form, please contact your Resident Assistant or the Courtyards office for assistance.

You may also make inspections via the PB Inspector app.

Bed Bugs

Overview
The Courtyards recognizes the nationwide concern for bedbugs. We proudly strive to stay ahead of bedbugs through preventive maintenance. Prior to our residents’ arrival for the Fall, each apartment at The Courtyards receives a K9 bedbug inspection, and any affected apartments are treated to ensure a bedbug free arrival for all residents.

In order to stay on the cutting edge of eradication and to minimize the inconvenience to our residents, our pest control contractor uses a heat treatment method. This process heats the apartment to a temperature of 135 degrees and sustains this for a period of three hours, killing any insects that might be present.

If any resident believes their apartment has become affected by bedbugs, it is imperative that they report this to the management office immediately. We take every report seriously and work with reputable experts to quickly determine if bedbugs are present and effectively treat apartments to ensure they are not spread. A manager will also work with the residents of the apartment to help them prepare for the treatment, prevent further spread, and prevent future reintroduction.

More Information

For more information regarding how to prevent introducing bed bugs to our community, we recommend referring the following videos

How to protect against bedbugs when traveling and Bedbug Basics: 10 tips to protect yourself

The SmartBurner

Every apartment will now have SmartBurner technology installed on the cooktop instead of the traditional electric coils. This equipment is designed to protect you and our community from accidental cooking fires in the kitchen.

The SmartBurner cooking surface temperature is kept below the flash point of most cooking oils and common combustible household items without sacrificing sufficient cooking temperatures. The large cooking surface retains heat more efficiently than a coil element and distributes heat more evenly. You use less energy and get more balanced cooking performance. You can even turn your burner off a few minutes before you finish cooking and the residual heat will complete the job.

Below is some important information that you will need to know for proper use and care that differs from traditional electric stove tops.

SmartBurner Safety
  • SmartBurner will never glow red (at any temperature) so you should not touch the burner. The stove panel element indicator light is your best way to determine if a burner plate is on.
  • Since SmartBurner holds heat longer than a traditional coil element, always take extra care before touching a burner plate, especially after cooking.
  • Flat bottom pots and pans work best on your SmartBurner. Warped or curved bottom pots and pans are less stable and could result in accidental spills.
  • Use cookware that appropriately fits the burner. A pot or pan that is too large for the burner will be less stable and could result in accidental spills.
Care & Cleaning

Please follow the below guidelines to ensure you do not damage the SmartBurner

  • Always ensure the burner is cool before attempting to clean.
  • Do not use steel wool or abrasive chemicals to clean the burner.
  • Do not soak the burner or run through the dishwasher.
  • Use a damp cloth or sponge with mild detergent or soap to clean the surface of the burner and surrounding plate.
  • After thoroughly wiping soap from the burner plate, you should towel dry completely before use.
  • If you experience malfunction of your SmartBurner, please submit a work order.
Cooking Fire Safety Tips
  • Never leave food cooking on the stovetop unattended.
  • Keep cooking area clean and clear of combustibles such as potholders, rags, and food packaging.
    Cooking should never be performed while under the influence of any substance that impairs judgment.
    Wear short, close fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire.
  • Turn pot handles inward so they can’t be bumped.
  • Never use a wet oven mitt, as it presents a scald danger if moisture in the mitt is heated.