Hello everyone! I’ve been binging everything BP for the past month and have a accumulated laundry list of questions to ask. My first questions is what repairs am I allowed to make to a property I just bought and plan to rent? I am assuming everything except gas but I am unsure and can’t find an answer on google. Also, do the rules change if I am living in one side and renting out the other? Do the rules also change if I am just an owner occupier with no tenant? Lastly, do the rules change if I am no longer living in the house and it is just the tenants? Thank you so much for you help!
Rental Property Investor · Mercer Island, WA · Member since 2008 · 22k+ posts · 14k+ votes
8y
Its specific to your location. You need to call the building department for the municipality where the property is located and talk to them. You need to ask what work needs permits, and which permits you're allowed to pull. Typically, though its highly variable, for a rental you could do cosmetic work (e.g., paint) but nothing that requires a permit. Often, as a homeowner working on the property you occupy you have more flexibility and can do a home owner permit for almost anything. But this stuff varies A LOT.
Investor · NJ · Member since 2018 · 869 posts · 921 votes
8y
It depends on municipality. Some codes allow home owner occupants to do their own work. Others do not. general rule of thumb is that if you don't live there you need a licensed professional at least in my state. Especially if it is commercially zoned. Another food for thought is that if you do your own work and something goes wrong, your insurance might not cover it. I've heard of insurance companies refusing to pay out because a home owner did their own electric and burned the home down.