Maintenance Responsibilities of Tenants

Maintenance Responsibilities of Tenants

Buying and renting your home or apartment might seem to be easy but maintaining your property is the real task. Are you aware of the fact that tenants also have some responsibilities towards the maintenance of the property they are living in? These responsibilities are mentioned in the rent agreement and they have to fulfill them, of course the responsibility of major repairs lies with the landlord on most occasions but there are also certain responsibilities associated with the tenants. This blog entails a list of maintenance responsibility which tenants are supposed to carry out:

All tenants are expected to keep the property neat and clean. They need to remove the garbage from time to time. Some landlords ask tenants to look after landscaping of the property also. Tenants are also required to use heating, plumbing, air conditioning, and electricity fixtures with proper care. They have to change filters, inform the landlord about any leaks from the tank, replace batteries of smoke alarm, and change bulbs as and when they become fused.

If any item is damaged or broken because of improper handling or misuse, it is the responsibility of the tenant to replace it with a new one. Landlord is responsible for damage if it takes place through normal use or wear and tear. One example of damage because of normal use is that of a rug or a carpet. But if a hole is created or stain developed because of a spill, tenant is required to replace the carpet on his own.

If the tenant does not carry out periodic maintenance and the HVAC unit develops some defect, it is normal for a landlord or the property manager to get the HVAC unit fixed. But he can ask the tenant to pay for the repair charges as the damage has been caused because of improper maintenance or neglect on part of the tenant. If the tenant does not report leakage from tank in time and the problem becomes serious requiring a big expenditure, the landlord is well within his right to demand payment from the tenant.

If a pipeline bursts because of improper use or neglect on the part of the tenant, tenant is responsible for its repair. This is the reason why a tenant should opt for a renter’s home insurance policy. This policy covers any loss or damage caused to the property because of fault or neglect of the tenant.

As a tenant, it’s your responsibility to keep your rented apartment or house neat and clean. You should be disposing off the garbage and other waste material on a regular basis and in a properly regulated manner. Similarly, you also need to maintain the plumbing fixtures along with air-conditioning, sanitary, electrical, and ventilating and other such important systems in your apartment or house in a proper manner. If you or your kids break something, you also need to maintain and inform the landlord of the defects in a given system and maintenance details. However, it is important to note that there won’t be any charges for normal wear and tear. For instance, if you need to change the carpet that has been used for years, you should not be paying for this as it’s the responsibility of the landlord.

As a tenant, you should comply with all the requirements mentioned in the rent agreement signed with the landlord. It will protect your interests in case of a dispute with the landlord. You can easily lose your deposit if it is proved that damage to the property was caused because of your improper handling or neglect.