Who is responsible when pipes freeze and burst? Tenant no propane

[Paige Roberts]

My tenant apparently did not order propane for his rental.  I was not told until after pipes froze and broke.  Apparently he was just using a small space heater for his room.  So who is responsible for the broken pipes? He is saying I am responsible for anything like that but how can i know and not know he doesn't have propane? I'm not willing to pay for his propane every month.  He told me it is not his fault he cannot afford it.  He has been there three years and knew when he moved in he had to have propane.

Thanks!

[Michael Ablan]

An issue like this will rely heavily on your lease (as far as small claims court goes).  For the future I'd get yourself added onto the Propane account and make sure you're alerted when it drops below a certain level.  One of my properties propane suppliers can monitor levels and will auto-fill it when it goes below a certain level.