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HomeServices › Emergency Property Preservation
Inspections / securing · Lifecycle

What emergency property preservation is

Emergency preservation is the short-fuse secure: open door, burst pipe, fire, or a vacancy you just confirmed. Speed still does not legalize a lockout.

Emergency board-up on a broken window after sudden vacancy
Emergency board-up on a broken window after sudden vacancy
Emergency property preservation is prioritized securing and mitigation on a vacant or damaged asset — water, open entry, fire, or a sudden vacancy — so the loss does not grow overnight. It is not an emergency eviction and not legal advice.

Key facts

  • Lifecycle stage: Inspections / securing.
  • EvictIQ field operations: Georgia (metro Atlanta). We do not operate field crews in every state.
  • Exact claims only: 10,000+ completed evictions; 72-hour service of tenant after filing on average (Georgia service).
  • Not a law firm. Not legal advice. No date guarantees. No price list on this page.

What this service is

The search is “emergency” because the asset is open. The first question is still possession. If someone has a lawful right to be there, you are in a repair or a court file — not a board-up-and-rekey sprint.

We do not publish an ETA and we do not staff every metro. Georgia emergencies on vacant recoveries we can discuss. Other states we route to a local vendor. No invented nationwide coverage.

When this step is needed

You need emergency preservation when a vacant or damaged asset is open — water, fire, broken door — and waiting until next week grows the loss.

You do not need an “emergency lockout.” Speed does not legalize excluding someone who still has possession.

How the process usually works

  1. Triage occupied versus vacant versus unknown before anyone rekeys.
  2. Mitigate water or open entry only as you are authorized.
  3. Photograph for the owner or insurer.
  4. Secure what is lawful to secure.
  5. Hand off to ordinary preservation once the emergency is closed.

Courts and executing offices set their own calendars. These are operational steps, not a guaranteed timeline.

What this step usually covers

  • Triage: occupied vs vacant vs unknown
  • Secure openings and utilities as authorized
  • Photos for the owner or insurer
  • A next-step handoff to ordinary preservation

These are the jobs the step exists to do. They are not a nationwide menu EvictIQ staffs in every county.

What you must verify locally

  • Who can authorize emergency entry
  • Utility shutoff rules
  • Whether police or fire already have a report

We do not publish a stale per-state timetable. Statutes change.

What this does not include

  • Legal advice, courtroom representation, or an attorney-client relationship
  • A guaranteed hearing date, writ date, or setout date — courts and executing offices set their own calendars
  • Self-help lockouts, utility shutoffs, or removal of belongings outside a court-issued writ
  • A published price. Scope and price are written after intake, before work starts
State law controls. Eviction law is state law, and notice periods, forms, courts and timelines differ in every state — sometimes county to county within a state. This page explains how the process generally works. It is not legal advice and it is not a substitute for your state's actual rules.
Working a real case right now?

Georgia we can handle. Elsewhere we route.

If the property is in Georgia, EvictIQ can take this step end to end. If it isn't, we'll tell you what to look for in a local attorney or service — we do not operate field crews in every state.

Related services

All eviction services — the full catalog, grouped by category on the hub.

Board-Up Services

Securing openings after break-in, fire, or vacancy — only when it is lawful to enter and close the building.

Read →

Winterization Services

Freeze protection on a vacant recovered or REO unit — climate-specific, not a national package.

Read →

Property Preservation

Keeping a recovered or vacant property secure and maintained until it turns or sells.

Read →

Common questions

The tenant left the water running. Is that an emergency lockout?

Mitigate the water if you have a lawful right to enter for emergencies under the lease and statute. That is not a lockout. Changing locks to keep them out still needs legal possession.

Do you offer 24/7 national emergency crews?

No. We will not invent a national dispatch board. Ask for Georgia or a local vendor.

Need help with this step?

Tell us where the property is and where the case stands. Georgia we handle; elsewhere we route.

If the property is in Georgia
If it isn't

We'll tell you so rather than take the lead. What to look for locally: a provider who knows which office executes writs in your county, who gives you cycle-time variance rather than an average, and who refuses to guarantee a completion date.

Working a real case?

Georgia we handle end to end. Anywhere else, we'll tell you what to look for in a local provider.