As a Monterey Park property owner, it is crucial to realize and know who is responsible for what regarding basic rental property maintenance. To keep your rental property in a more than satisfactory condition and profitable, it’s crucial to have a proactive property maintenance system in place. This maintenance may be settled by you or by a service technician. Nevertheless, there are plenty of minor maintenance tasks that you can and should expect your tenant to do. Here are some of the most common rental property maintenance tasks and who is usually responsible for each one:
Clogged toilets. If a toilet becomes clogged, it is generally the tenant’s responsibility to fix and remove the blockage. Be that as it may, there may be exceptions, such as if the blockage is caused by plumbing complexities unrelated to the tenant’s use. In this circumstance, you would certainly need to handle the repairs yourself or call a professional.
Broken windows. If a window is broken, it could probably be either the landlord’s or the tenant’s responsibility to repair or replace the window. The reason is that the responsibility for window replacement lies with the cause of the breakage. If the window was broken due to tenant negligence, they should pay to replace it. Then again, if a window is damaged due to severe weather or other circumstances out of a tenant’s control, the property owner is responsible for restoring it. Bring to mind that this certainly is a security issue; mitigation is the key here.
Lightbulbs. Generally, tenants are responsible for replacing lightbulbs in their rental homes. The reason is that all light fixtures are considered part of the tenant’s living space.
Carpeting and flooring. Regarding the cleanliness of flooring, this would be the tenant’s responsibility. If the flooring becomes damaged or worn out, then the responsibility customarily falls to the Monterey Park property manager. This is because these are items of the property that see a lot of wear and tear over time. In some cases, moreover, tenants may be responsible for damage to carpeting or flooring. In this case, the tenant would need to pay for the repairs.
Batteries in smoke and CO detectors. Smoke and CO detectors are very important for keeping a rental property safe. The batteries in these devices should be constantly tested and replaced as necessary. In some instances, state law provides whether it is the landlord’s or the tenant’s responsibility to replace the batteries. Heedless of with whom the responsibility lies, as a landlord, you should be nailing down to regularly check and replace batteries two times per year.
Air filters. Air filters help keep the air in a rental property clean and free of pollutants. In nearly all cases, it’s the tenant’s responsibility to replace the air filters. Although, a few properties have air filter systems that tenants cannot just easily access and change themselves. When that’s the case in your rental property, it is your responsibility to nail down that your air filters are changed as often as needed.
When assigning maintenance tasks to your tenants, it’s at all times critical to involve clear language detailing all responsibilities in your lease. This will help to avoid any misunderstandings or disagreements down the road. By considering in advance and clearly who is responsible for what regarding rental property maintenance, you can keep your property in more than satisfactory condition and stop any potential legal problems.
Rental property maintenance can be labor-intensive and time-consuming, indeed if you will be obligated to keep watching and checking whether your tenant is fulfilling their responsibilities. But Real Property Management Fairmate can certainly help. We are experts in single-family rental property management, and we can efficiently take care of all maintenance for you. Contact us online to learn more about our quality services.
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