Bug-Bothered Tenants?

[Sarah Shockley]

Yesterday one of my tenants contacted me and asked that I have someone come clean the dead bugs out of the outdoor light fixture by their front entry - they feel it is my responsibility to take care of this problem.

On one hand I feel the request is somewhat ridiculous - really? You want me to have someone come over just to clean your light on a regular basis? 

Also I really don't want to get a phone call/email every time they feel the light needs cleaning.

On the other hand, the problem is a small one - I've gotten to the point where if a problem is cheap and easy to fix, it's not really a problem in the grand scheme of things. It's a nice quality apartment and they've been ok tenants so far.

Any advice on how to handle this?

[Kaycee Miller]

I would try the super friendly approach of educating and empowering your tenants to do it themselves by showing them how easy it is to clean (just this one time though). 

Maybe something along the lines like, "Yuck, little bugs in the light can be so annoying and unsightly. I'd be happy to come over and show you my tricks for getting the light fixtures sparkling again. Just a reminder, per your lease agreement it will be your responsibility to maintain these fixtures (ie cleaning and changing the lightbulbs) but I can show you how this first time. Its a good idea to make it a habit to clean at least once a month, just like changing the air filter." 

If they are young renters, the honestly might not know or remember what their maintenance responsibilities are. I cringe at the memory of asking my landlord to come change a light-bulb once when I was in college -opps!