If you smell gas nowLeave the building without using switches, flames, or phones indoors. From outside, call 911 if there is immediate danger and call your gas utility. Contact a private-side contractor only after the area is declared safe.
The short answer
Management should document the report time and location, keep occupants away, provide responders access, preserve utility findings, and coordinate the repair boundary. Avoid language that pressures a tenant to remain inside.
What matters in this situation
Commercial and multi-unit gas work adds operational consequences: multiple occupants, shared piping, equipment schedules, inspection coordination, and the need to document what can safely remain in service.
Details that help define the next step
- Unit and common-area location
- Whether occupants are outside
- Utility/emergency response status
- Recent appliance or maintenance work
These details help establish scope; they do not replace an emergency response, onsite inspection, utility decision, permit requirement, or manufacturer instruction.
How a careful service process is organized
- Start by documenting unit and common-area location and whether occupants are outside.
- Confirm utility/emergency response status and recent appliance or maintenance work before the scope is finalized.
- Have tenant and building contacts and keys/access plan ready for the onsite team or authority.
- Use the findings to define the appropriate commercial gas line repair scope, required testing, and any next authority or trade.
What to have ready when requesting service
- Tenant and building contacts
- Keys/access plan
- Utility incident number
- Affected equipment list
What not to do
Do not ask a tenant to relight equipment, tighten a connector, or wait indoors. Keep relevant tags, notices, equipment information, and safely obtained photos available for the people handling this specific situation.