Hiring a Tenant for Small Tasks

[Kole Kingslien]

I am looking for advice on hiring a tenant to do work at a property. Here is the situation:

I have a 4-unit property with a common area that needs to be swept monthly, as well as pulling weeds in a small area in front. Both tasks will only need to be done 1-2 times per month, so all in all it's only about 2hrs of work/mo (around $20/mo). Is there anyone out there that has a similar situation? I have two main concerns:

1. How do I log a right off this expense how do I/do I need to track this payment/expense?
2. Would I be putting myself at a risk from a liability standpoint of injuries or accidents that occur during such tasks (for example- falling down the stairs while sweeping)? Would a homeowners insurance liability policy protect me in this case. If I am at risk, is there a way around it, where I can still hire the tenant for certain tasks without being liable?

Any advice in much appreciated.

Thanks,

Kole