Tenant vs Landlord Repairs- Checklist

[Jorge Rubio]

One of the main points of contention between tenants and landlords is whose responsibilty it is to pay certain repairs. While most leases have a section related to this, I find that they are very generic and therefore open to misinterpretation. To avoid this, I would like to see what other landlords are doing. For example, is anyone including some sort of checklist as part of their lease that states each specific issue, who pays, and cost for common repairs like clogged drains or garbage disposals.

[Kris L.]

@Joe Splitrock

My experience working in a PM company is that clogged drains and toilets, and garbage disposal issues are the most common maintenance issue by far. Our policy was that when the drain got snaked, if there wasn’t root invasion, it was a tenant bill. Tenants were also on the hook for any garbage disposal issue unless the handyman specifically told us that it had simply worn out. You wouldn’t believe what people think can go down a disposal, even when you give them a list that tells them not to toss animal bones, watermelon rinds or paper products in there. I guess people think garbage disposal and wood chipper are the same thing.