Enforcing Tenants to Pay Maintenance

[Alex Craig]

I am interested in hearing from property managers & landlords nationwide, but really interested to hear from Memphis managers and landlords.  Do you successful enforce tenants to pay maintenance under $150?  For the Memphis managers & landlords, how do you get around the TN Residential Landlord Tenant Act that says landlords must fix all items on the lot that they provide?  We recently had a investor ask why he had to pay for a couple of minor maintenance bills and not the tenant.  While it is in our lease for tenant to pay under $150, Memphis is a unique market where the tenants would either call code (which could turn into a very expensive experience), call the BBB or simply move to another house. I did call a 3 different large management companies and all are on the same thought process as me as that you try to push back on the tenant, but the slightest push back and we follow suite of the law.

@Douglas Skipworthinterested to hear from you on this since you are the most active Memphis PM on Bigger Pockets.

[Alex Craig]

@David Hines Besides the fact that it is a law in the state of TN to fix anything the landlord provides, I would be worried that they don't report it and it causes further damage.  A $50 repair on a leaking angle stop valve on a toilet not addressed can turn into a rotten subfloor.