Family Housing for UC Berkeley  
 

Maintenance

 

If there is a maintenance problem in your apartment, call the office at 642-3653. If there is no answer, leave a message on voicemail. Include your name, apartment number, phone number and a general description of the problem.

If the maintenance problem is an emergency (a situation in which life & property are threatened), call the RA . If neither are available, call Central Maintenance at (510) 642-2828.

Note: Although all maintenance personnel have keys to enter apartments, no maintenance person will enter your apartment without knocking or ringing the doorbell first. You will always have 48 hours notice before a maintenance worker comes to perform unrequested work. If for any reason you are suspicious of a person who comes to make repairs, you should ask for identification.

Lockouts

  1. If it is during open hours, go to the Smyth Fernwald Office to borrow a spare key.
  2. If it is during working hours but the office is not open, call the RA at (510) 867-9662.
  3. After hours, call Family Housing Emergency Maintenance at 1-800-998-4182. Please be aware that there is a fee for having the University locksmith let you into your apartment.

Only residents listed on the rental agreement or visitors who have a permission slip on file with the Smyth-Fernwald Office will be let into an apartment. If you have a visitor, let the office know in writing (use the permission slip) that they are allowed access to your apartment. There are no exceptions to this policy.

Note: You might consider leaving a key with a trusted neighbor--additional keys only cost $2. All keys must be returned upon move-out.

Routine Simple Maintenance

There are some simple problems that you can deal with yourself. If you are not sure about how to do any of these or other simple repairs, please call the maintenance office to have someone do it for you.

Electricity

  • If you are without power in only part of your apartment, you probably just need to reset the circuit breaker (in a gray metal box, usually near the kitchen).
  • First, disconnect any major appliances (hair dryer, electric heaters, etc.) or any appliances you suspect triggered the outage.
  • Repair or discard appliances with frayed cords.
  • If a circuit breaker will not reset or trips again, do not continue resetting and call maintenance for assistance.

Faucet Handles

  • If your sink or bathtub faucet handles are loose (no other problem such as leaking), you will find that you can pry off the C/H labels with your fingernails, and tighten the screw underneath.  

Refrigerators

  • All styles of refrigerators have condenser coils that attract a lot of dust and need occasional cleaning + vacuuming for optimum efficiency.
  • Residents are encouraged to do this at least annually.
  • Unplug the refrigerator when performing this task.

Heaters

  • Most heaters are equipped with thermostatic valves which, if set properly, will keep your rooms at a nearly constant temperature. The numbers on the handle correspond to temperatures; higher numbers = higher temps. If you have trouble using them, please ask the Office for assistance.

Window Screens

  • Please take care of your window screens and avoid making holes in them. When you first move in, there should be no holes in the screens. Make sure your children are careful around the windows.
  • THE SCREENS ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE WEIGHT OF A CHILD LEANING AGAINST THEM.
  • When you move out, you will be charged for any screens missing or damaged. If you choose to remove and store screens during your tenancy, please contact the office for such storage, rather than taking up space in storage rooms or public areas.

Garbage Disposal

  • The garbage disposals are only meant to grind up a SMALL amount of food matter.
  • Use the drain strainer provided to scoop up any food in your sink and throw it away in trash or compost. Always run lots of cold water in the drain while the disposal is running.
  • Please do NOT put artichoke leaves, lettuce hearts, carrots, banana or melon peels, grease, bones, rice, or noodles down your disposal, as these can gum up the blades or block the drain pipes.
  • Should your disposal not operate when turned on, check the red reset button at the bottom of the unit before reporting it to the Office.

Smoke Detectors

  • All apartments are equipped with smoke detectors. It is important for the safety of your family that these remain in good working order.
  • DO NOT unplug your smoke detector for any reason! Not only is it unsafe, but it will also set off the fire control panel!
  • If your smoke detector is not working (it is a good idea to test it monthly), please contact the Office so that it can be repaired or replaced.
  • If you live in buildings E, H, or J and your smoke detector goes off accidentally:
    • Immediately open the doors and windows to clear the smoke.
    • There is no shut-off switch and there are no batteries to disconnect, so the only way to stop it is to clear the smoke from the detector.
    • The fire department will be summoned automatically if the heat sensor is triggered in an apartment for more than two minutes.
  • If you live in buildings F or G and your smoke detector goes off accidentally:
    • DO NOT open your door to clear the smoke from a false alarm. The fire department will be summoned automatically if the smoke detector in the hallway is set off.
    • The smoke detectors in the bedrooms are battery operated and not connected to the Fire Panel, so they do not summon the fire department.
  • Please remember to call the Fire Department whenever you suspect a fire, DO NOT rely on the fire detection system to notify them. By law when the fire alarm is activated, everyone must evacuate the building even if you believe there is no real fire.

Lead Paint

  • If you have children, you may want your pediatrician to test their blood for lead. Many health agencies recommend that children who are exposed to lead have their blood lead levels checked every six months. A program of lead blood testing coordinated with University Health Services has been discontinued, because after 8 years of the program we have not had a Smyth-Fernwald child with elevated lead levels.
  • Additional information is available in the HUD pamphlet received when your contract was signed.