Total expenses for landlord in Sutton MA

[Karl Kauper]

Good afternoon,

Could anyone help me to estimate my monthly expenses if I rent out my single-family house in Sutton, MA? I will be self-managing remotely (from NJ). Please note that I have 25 years of experience renting out apartments and houses in three other states, but I’ve never done so in MA, so I don’t have experience with local MA laws or vendor expenses. I know how much my property taxes will be, but what other expenses are there, and approximate cost? Please note: I will definitely be self-managing, so please don’t suggest that I hire a local PM. I am just looking for insight from local MA realtors, attorneys or landlords regarding what my typical monthly expenses (if any) will likely be (I don’t mean one-off expenses like roof repairs). Also, can I stipulate in the lease that the tenant has to maintain the lawn and shovel the driveway and walkways, or am I required to pay a vendor? If so, approximately how much will that cost? Or, can I get away with requiring the tenant to pay all expenses? 

Thanks for any local insight!!

Karl

[Jonathan Greene]

@Andrew Freed can probably help with this. He has a lot of units and is a licensed agent in Worcester MA who knows plenty about single-family as well.

[Brian J Allen]

@Karl Kauper with a SF you can require the tenant to take care of lawn and snow, but they might not be up to your standards.  There are plenty of local landscapers who you can hire to do everything.  I might suggest going directly to one of these guys.  Let me know if you need names in Sutton.