Property Rentals: What Are The Rights of Tenants to Landlord Repairs?

Renting a property is among the most common forms of real estate investing as well as the easiest to understand for first-time investors. The concept of property rentals is very straightforward. There is the owner of the property, called a landlord and the one renting the property of the property called a tenant. Ideally, the tenant pays the landlord based on the contract they both agreed. However, it isn’t always the case. Most of the time, there are several issues both landlord and tenant faced such as late payment, house damage maintenance, etc.

Know The Tenant Rights In Property Rentals

Landlords must remember though that even though they own the property, tenants also have rights, and FindLaw discussed these tenant rights in one of their posts.

A Tenant’s Rights to Landlord Repairs

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A tenant has a right to live a habitable rental property, but what about cosmetic or minor problems that an apartment or rental house has. What repairs are landlords forced to repair, and what kinds of repairs may a landlord ignore?

Landlord repairs: What must a landlord fix?

Even if it is not in your rental agreement or lease, your landlord is required to keep your building and unit in a habitable condition. This means that your landlord must ensure that the building is structurally sound, provide hot and cold water, ensure that the roof is not leaking, and keep the plumbing, electrical and heating systems all in safe operating condition. Also, if a rental property has become infested with pests, landlords must often pay for an exterminator, unless the infestation was caused by your wrongdoing or poor housekeeping.

Landlord repairs: What does a landlord not have to fix?

There are minor problems that a landlord is not required by law to fix. These minor problems may include things like dripping faucets, running toilets, small holes in carpet, grimy grout or torn window screens. Even though these problems may be annoying for you, the tenant, to live with, your landlord may not be under any obligation to repair these issues.

There are only a few occasions when minor repairs may be required to be fixed. If the terms of your lease agreement state that the landlord will fix any of the problems you are having, then the landlord is under a legal duty to do so. In addition, if your landlord ever promised you a repair, either in writing or by talking with you, you may be able to hold your landlord to that promise. Lastly, state and local building codes, as well as state landlord-tenant laws may require your landlord to make repairs that would otherwise be a repair left to the landlord’s discretion. See full post here…

Every landlord must know and respect tenant rights to avoid any problems especially in the legal aspects of the business. That way tenants are ensured of due process in case problems such as house damage and who’s paying the repairs, etc. are clear to both parties.

House damages are inevitable for property rentals. The next question is who’s gonna pay for the repairs and maintenance? Jennifer Lyons of Zillow Porchlight has the answers to these very relevant questions. Check them out below to learn more.

Tenant Troubles: Who Is Responsible for Problems in Your Rental?

Photo Credits: Zillow Porchlight

Who foots the bill when the maintenance issues roll in? It depends, so get to know your tenant rights.

One of renting’s major benefits is that you don’t have to worry about upkeep, maintenance and expensive repairs. So when things go bad — your dishwasher stops working, the roof is leaking or the bugs just won’t go away — your first call is usually your landlord.

But how do you know what’s really their responsibility and what falls to you? And what do you do if they refuse to handle the repairs?

Read on for the most common rental issues and how to get them fixed quickly.

Water damage & mold

Easily one of the nastiest discoveries you can find in your home, mold is a common problem — especially in humid or rainy climates. And while most mold doesn’t cause health problems, some types can cause respiratory issues, headaches and allergy symptoms.

Since there’s no easy way for the average tenant to know if the mold in their home is dangerous or not, it’s always best to ask your landlord to get rid of it.

Pests

Remember when we said that landlords are required to provide tenants with a safe, livable space? That includes pest-free living, but there are a few more gray areas with pests than with other maintenance issues.

Whether your landlord is responsible or not depends on a few factors, including the state you live in, the type of rental unit and the type of pest. For example, in some states (but not others), landlords are legally required to manage bedbug infestations, which are an increasingly common issue.

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Before signing the contract, tenants must read and understand what it says and the landlord must explain it in detail as well. Also, if a tenant notices a problem in the house, they must report it to the landlord right away. Problems such as water damages and pests must be reported and taken action right away.

Erin Eberlin of The Balance also wrote about other maintenance issues in dealing with tenants and other maintenance issues that both parties should discuss in depth.

Dealing With Tenant Maintenance Issues

Photo Source: The Balance

Maintenance issues are a problem for any homeowner. For a rental property owner, these maintenance issues increase with the number of tenants you have and the number of properties you own. Even though landlords are used to hearing complaints about every maintenance issue, from leaky faucets to overflowing toilets, these complaints can still become hard to deal with. Try these few steps to handle the inevitable tenant maintenance issue.

Develop a Plan for Maintenance Issues

You must first develop your basic plan for addressing maintenance requests. Decide how requests will be submitted and who will respond to them. *If you have decided to hire a property management company to address these requests, then your job will be to monitor the management company to make sure they are handling all requests quickly and competently.

Receive the Tenant’s Request

If you have not outsourced maintenance issues to a property manager, then the next step is to receive the tenant’s request based on your preferred method. This could be by phone, email, text or even written notice if you prefer. These requests should be addressed during normal business hours unless they are emergencies. Learn more here…

Any homeowner experiences maintenance issues. However, these issues increase with the number of tenants you have. Also as a landlord, you must be getting used to hearing complaints about every maintenance issue. It is much better for you to devise a plan for an easier fix of maintenance issues. Lastly, you must devise a request based on your liking.

If you got tired of renting and decided to buy a house, Dependable Homebuyers can help you find the right house for sale based on your budget. Our many years of experience in the industry is more than enough proof that we can find good deals in various house listings. To learn more, visit us at https://www.dependablehomebuyers.com/tenants/ and let’s get started.

Dependable Homebuyers
1402 Belt St, Baltimore, MD 21230
(443) 266-6247

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