Triage & Severity Framework

A consistent, repeatable method for evaluating incoming issues and determining the appropriate response. It's intentionally flexible — property-management issues are dynamic and context-dependent. Use it as a decision-making guide, not a rigid rulebook.

Step 1 — Classify severity

First question: how severe is this? Classify into one of four levels by potential impact.

Level	Definition	Examples
Critical	Immediate threat to life, safety, or property; active damage occurring	Flooding, fire damage, gas leak, sewage backup, no heat in winter, structural collapse
Urgent	Significant disruption or risk of escalation if not addressed quickly; time-sensitive business need	Contained broken pipe, major appliance failure, client financials with a deadline, security concern
Standard	Needs attention but no immediate risk; normal business request	Leaky faucet, minor maintenance, routine vendor coordination, non-urgent inquiry
Low	Minor or cosmetic; no operational impact	Light-bulb replacement, cosmetic touch-up, general information request

Severity can change

A contained leak is urgent; a contained leak that breaks through becomes critical. Reassess as new information arrives.

Step 2 — Assess immediacy

Walk these questions in order. Stop at the first "Yes" — that sets your priority and response window.

Question	If Yes	If No
Is anyone in physical danger, or is there active property damage?	CRITICAL — act immediately; call emergency services if needed.	Next question.
Will the situation worsen significantly if not addressed today?	URGENT — assign and act within hours; contain if possible.	Next question.
Is there a stated deadline, client expectation, or contractual obligation?	URGENT or STANDARD — prioritize by the deadline; communicate a timeline.	Next question.
Does this affect the tenant/client's ability to use the property normally?	STANDARD — schedule within 1–3 business days; acknowledge with an ETA.	LOW — schedule at next convenience.

Step 3 — Log in the correct system

Every issue must be tracked.

• All work orders → AppFolio, no exceptions, regardless of severity.
• Critical and Urgent work orders → also a ClickUp task (in addition to the AppFolio WO) for visibility in both systems.
• Non-work-order issues (client financials requests, internal tasks, vendor follow-ups) → a ClickUp task, tagged appropriately.
• Standard tasks needing escalation → elevate into ClickUp with a P2 tag.

ClickUp priority tags

• P0 = Red Alert — immediate action required (Critical).
• P1 = Urgent — same-day response or urgent client request (Urgent).
• P2 = Standard — an escalated task needing extra tracking.

Step 4 — Determine next action

Critical

1. Call emergency services if life/safety is at risk.
2. Dispatch vendor/personnel immediately.
3. Notify Wonoak leadership immediately (escalation contacts).
4. Document the situation (photos, timestamps, notes).
5. Begin mitigation to prevent further damage.
6. Create the AppFolio work order (if applicable) and a ClickUp task tagged P0.

Urgent

1. Acknowledge receipt to the reporter within 30 minutes.
2. Assess whether containment can be done remotely.
3. Assign to the appropriate person or vendor.
4. Notify Wonoak leadership.
5. Create the AppFolio work order (if applicable) and a ClickUp task tagged P1.
6. Set a follow-up checkpoint for end of day.

Standard

1. Acknowledge receipt the same business day or the following morning.
2. Create an AppFolio work order (if applicable) or ClickUp task.
3. Assign and schedule.
4. Communicate an estimated timeline to the requester.
5. If escalation is needed, create a ClickUp task tagged P2.
6. Follow up on completion.

Low

1. Log in AppFolio (if a work order) or ClickUp (if non-work-order).
2. Add to scheduled maintenance or a batch task list.
3. Complete at the next convenient opportunity.
4. Confirm completion with the requester.

Step 5 — Document and communicate

Regardless of severity, document: who reported it and when; the property/unit affected; the severity assigned; what action was taken and by whom; current status and expected resolution. Communication is part of the resolution — keep the reporter, leadership, and relevant team members informed, especially when timelines shift.

Guiding principles

tip

• Safety first. If there's any doubt about a safety risk, treat it as critical until confirmed otherwise.
• Err on escalation. Better to over-classify and scale down than under-classify and miss a window.
• Reassess continuously. A standard issue can become urgent — reclassify as needed.
• Acknowledge quickly, even if you can't resolve quickly. Being heard goes a long way.
• Log it or it didn't happen. If it isn't in AppFolio (work orders) or ClickUp (everything else), it isn't tracked. No exceptions.
• Use judgment. This framework is a tool, not a substitute for experience and common sense.