Charging tenant for unnecessary house calls?

Question

First let me share that the lease on this home states the tenant will be responsible for small repairs less that $50 even if it is due to normal wear and tear. We have a new tenant that has been here for about 6 months. They pay on time and keep the house tidy however they constantly call us for every small thing. A lot of them are common sense stuff that end of wasting our time.

For example, in the last week we haven been called over twice. The first was a complaint that the fireplace was not working. My husband checked it out and nothing wrong with it. They simply were not holding the button down long enough for it to light (gas fireplace). Second call was that the garbage disposal in sink had gone out. Husband checked it out and nothing wrong with it. We have had other frivolous calls like that a faucet was leaking. Husband checked it out and it just wasn't turned off tightly.

Tenant is well aware of their responsibility for small repairs. She signed lease and we went over it verbally too and specifically discussed the $50 rule.  I am considering keeping a well documented list and deducting some of these house calls from her deposit. Nothing major, just $20-30 for my husband having to drive across town to check this stuff out when there really isn't a problem to begin with. How would you handle this?

Samantha Klein · Answer

Your $50 rule will eventually bite you. When you make a tenant cover small repairs, many times, they ignore what is a small problem and then bam it turns into a larger, more expensive problem and you then have to pay for it. I would rather spend a little bit on small maintenance issues then have my tenants let them get beyond small issues. You need to re-think that $50 repair clause. Also, I don't mind tenants who let me know about this or that, it's up to you to decide how serious the problem is.

JD Martin · Answer

1. Remove the garbage disposal. Not only will these generate a bunch of calls, some people are dense and will stick their hands in it without the power being disabled.

2. Don't run over there for every minor issue. Something that doesn't materially affect the living conditions of the home, schedule it when you will be in the area. This can be anything from a quarterly inspection/"knob-tightening" visit to you just happen to be in the area visiting Aunt Flo.

3. Don't renew their lease when it is up if it's that aggravating and get a new tenant.

Deanna McCormick · Answer

Tenants doing repairs is usually a NO GO. they aren't qualified and will cause more issues than taking care of your property yourself.

As far as fireplace,, better to have been instructed properly than blow the place up. I personally would have disconnected it and told them they weren't permitted to use it.

sounds like the faucet needs a new washer if you have to force it shut,who pay's the water bill. I'd would expect it to be fixed if I lived there.

do your own repairs or hire it out, part of ownership and get over the calls, these seem legitimate to me

Jeff B. · Answer

ABSOLUTELY AGREE.  This trains the tenant to not call at all and someday that will bite big time - - say a leak under the sink will soon rot out the cabinet.

I have always had the opposite problem - - getting them to call regardless.  They fear charges like the $50 call out fee or increases in rents, so they don't call at all.

I got them to always call me and I would screen the issue and get my handyman to go on site if necessary.  This way I avoid simple issues from becoming much bigger ones.

Susan Maneck · Answer

I don't know if you could do that in Starkville but not in Jackson. I usually tell my tenants to check on a few things before I come over. During the recent ice storm a tenant called complaining that I had to do something to keep the cold from coming through the windows. I asked her if she had remembered to put the covers back on her window air conditioners. She said she couldn't do that (she is disabled) but I noted her teenage son could and to call me back if it was still too cold once those covers were put back on. Of course by that time our freezing spell was over with.

Kim Meredith Hampton · Answer

@Ashley V. consider making some short videos on the "how to" for each of the constant maintenance calls. email to them once they call, this will help with some due diligence and cut out some of the unnecessary home visits.

You may also want to do a walk thru at the property with both tenants prior to move in to "show" them how to use everything, and constitute what is and isn't emergency phone calls, and what might be a tenant expense

Ashley V. · Answer

My problem is being called when there isn't a legitimate issue.

I really do not mind being called for repairs even if they are under $50 (we have never refused to make a repair no matter how  small). With previous tenants I have never had any problem with the $50 rule; they usually just call and let us know what the problem is and we have always offered to fix it.

Its just that with this particular tenant they call when there isn't even a legitimate problem. 9 out of 10 calls have been for common sense things with no real problem. Just trying to figure our how to recuperate some of our time dealing with nonsense.

Camie Jelinek · Answer

So first off now that you see a pattern with this tenant don't be so fast run out and "fix" their imaginary maintenance issues. Troubleshoot over the phone as much as possible before making a trip.

Have a sit down with them, and just let them know that you appropriate them paying rent on time and taking good care of the property. Point out again that they are responsible for repairs under $50 and that the calls they have made are not actual repairs even as nothing needed "fixed". Tell them you will try to do better to answer their question about the functionality of the home over the phone but if you continue to have to come out (and show them how to turn off a sink) there will be a small service call fee. Maybe then they will refrain from calling every other day. If they are not understanding or continue to make these types of calls non renew and start over. Which I would try to avoid if they do in fact pay well and care about your property.

Good luck to you!

Charging tenant for unnecessary house calls?

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