# How do cleaners report a delay, a problem or an emergency?

Source: https://lemon.cy/learn/cleaner-sos-delay-problem-emergency-levels/  
Publisher: Lemon.cy (Red Tribe Media Ltd, Limassol, Cyprus)  
Updated: 2026-09-10 · Verified against production: 2026-09-10

**Short answer:** From the job link, in three levels: yellow for a delay (with a reason), red for a problem such as damage or a guest still inside (with a description), black for an emergency. Each reaches the host on their chosen channels as a distinct event and appears in the dashboard's alerts panel until cleared.

## The three levels

| Level | Meaning | What the cleaner enters | Host event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Running late | A reason | `delay_reported` |
| Red | Something is wrong at the property — damage, missing keys, guest has not left | A description | `problem_reported` |
| Black | Emergency — safety, medical, security | A description; the page also shows the organisation's emergency phone | `sos_emergency` |

The job records the report with a timestamp (`delayReportedAt`, `problemReportedAt`, `emergencyReportedAt`) and, for emergencies, when it was cleared. The dashboard's alerts panel shows anything open in red; the Jobs page has a one-tap filter for jobs needing attention.

## Why three levels instead of a free-text box

A free-text box gets "hi, small issue" at 11:40 and the host has to phone to find out whether the guest is still asleep or the ceiling is on the floor. Naming the level tells the host how fast to react before they read a word, and routes the message: many hosts send yellow to email, red to push, black to SMS and Telegram.

## Other things a cleaner can say from the link

- **Issue report** — a titled report for damage or maintenance, separate from the SOS flow, attached to the job for the record.
- **Request contact** — a button that reveals the host's or manager's phone, email, SMS, Telegram or WhatsApp link when the cleaner needs a person.
- **Cancel** — with a reason, which restarts the cascade and is tracked against the cleaner.

## Related

- [How do per-property cleaning checklists work?](https://lemon.cy/learn/cleaning-checklists-per-property/)
- [Do cleaners need to install an app or create an account?](https://lemon.cy/learn/do-cleaners-need-an-app-or-account/)