While all major electrical problems are best left to the professionals, you will be glad to hear that only a few electrical issues actually require the aid of an electrician. This is a guide on how tenants can troubleshoot common electrical issues that may arise. 


And please remember the most important thing: your landlord is responsible for the maintenance and repairs of your home. However, these tips will help you address issues more effectively for you and your landlord. 


If the issue still persists after completing the troubleshooting steps listed below, please submit a maintenance request through the portal.

Outlet Isn't Working
Step 1. Check your GFCI Outlets

GFCI outlets are most commonly found in kitchens and bathrooms, but may also have been installed in other rooms. GFCI outlets look different than standard outlets because they have two buttons between the top and bottom outlets: a “TEST” button and a “RESET” button. Pressing "RESET" on a tripped outlet should return power to the area the outlet controls.


Step 2. Check Appliances

If you've recently introduced a new appliance to your home, such as a coffee maker, toaster, or portable AC unit, it may have caused an overload. Plug an electrical appliance into a GFCI outlet, and press the "TEST" button. The appliance should turn off. Press "RESET" to turn the appliance back on. Do this at every GFCI outlet in the house. Eventually, you may find an outlet that caused your problem. Pressing "RESET" on a tripped outlet should return power to the area the outlet controls. You may need to double-check the breaker box as well. If a breaker has been tripped, reset it, and then reset the GFI again.


Partial Outage or No Power

If you lose power in just one room, or section of the home, there is no reason to panic. There could be a number of reasons this happened, and you can resolve most of them on your own without tools.


Step 1. Look for Clues in the Circuit Breaker Box

Find the breaker panel in your home - it may be in your garage. You'll want to check the breakers to see if any are tripped, perhaps due to an overload.  Resetting may be needed even if it doesn’t look like the breaker is tripped. Be sure to reset all breakers by switching them off and back on, one by one.


Step 2. Check your GFCI Outlets (described above)

 

Step 3. Check with the Utility Company

If a local outage has occurred, it should be reported on their website.


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