Although landlords are responsible for repairs and some maintenance of their income properties, tenants play a significant role in day-to-day rental property care.
Your lease should clearly stipulate who is responsible for what maintenance, especially tasks that have the potential to impact a tenant’s safety, such as snow removal and roofing damage.
But exactly what rental property maintenance should be the responsibility of the renter? The following are the top tasks that your tenants should be responsible for.
General Cleaning and Maintenance
Renters are responsible for general cleaning and maintenance of the property. For example, discarding food, taking out their trash, and maintaining appliances by using them properly are all the responsibility of your tenants.
Some landlords require that their tenants perform general maintenance, such as changing air filters, light bulbs, and smoke or carbon monoxide alarm batteries. Other landlords will do these tasks themselves.
Your tenants are also responsible for maintaining sanitary conditions at the property as part of general cleaning and maintenance. These tasks include dusting, vacuuming, trash removal, and properly using amenities such as heating, AC, laundry machines, and elevators.
Keeping the Property Safe
While landlords play a significant role in keeping their income property safe and habitable, tenants are also required to keep the property safe while they live there.
For example, all exits in the property should be kept clear and accessible. Personal items should not be stored near heaters for risk of fire. Appliances such as stoves, microwaves, and AC units should be used safely and as directed. Tenants should also do their part to prevent mold and mildew by using ventilation when cooking or bathing.
It is also the tenant’s responsibility to notify the landlord if there is an issue that could affect their safety and well-being, including a broken floorboard, plumbing issues, or evidence of pests.
Select Exterior Maintenance
Whether or not your renters are responsible for exterior maintenance will generally depend on the type of income property you have.
For example, should your investment property be an apartment, residents aren’t usually responsible for much exterior maintenance, short of keeping community areas clean when they use them, picking up after their pets, and maintaining their deck or balcony space.
However, if you have a single-family home that you rent out, tenants will expect to be responsible for additional exterior maintenance tasks. These tasks could include picking up leaves, cutting the grass, shoveling snow, and keeping sidewalks and driveways clear.
As with any tenant maintenance responsibilities, it’s essential to be clear about which tasks will belong to them and which you will handle as their landlord.
Don’t Sweat Rental Property Maintenance
Keeping up with maintenance as a landlord can be overwhelming, especially when you have a rental property in the nation’s capital, where we experience everything from hurricanes to snowstorms. Don’t sweat your rental property maintenance—contact FAS Management today at (202) 337-5080 to learn more about our professional property management solutions for your DC investment property.
