General Landlording & Rental Properties
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback
Updated about 1 year ago, 12/17/2023
Lease Clause Requiring Tenant to Accomplish "Easy Fixes"?
I have a tenant who has called repairmen (which are then charged to me, the landlord) on a number of issues that are really just common sense. The most recent was filing a maintenance request because the toilet wasn't flushing. When the plumber inspected the toilet, everything was fine. After a lengthy back and forth with the tenant, we came to understand that the tenant's complaint was related to the tenant flushing the toilet twice in a row before the tank had filled (and thus, to the tenant's mind, the toilet wasn't working correctly).
I'm sort of tired of being billed hundreds of dollars because my tenant doesn't understand how simple things work. What's next - complaining the ice is melting only to realize the tenant is storing the ice in the sink?
Has anyone every put any sort of clause in a lease that states that the tenants are responsible for simple fixes like these, but the landlord is obviously responsible for bigger fixes (if equipment fails, if there is force majeure damage, etc.)? I really am tired of getting a bill every month for something the tenant could've fixed immediately with a screwdriver (or common sense). I realize this is a legal slippery slope because how do you define "simple fixes"? I guess I'm just frustrated but if anyone has similar experiences and solutions, I'd love to hear about them.