Engineering Consultant, Investor · Seattle, WA · Member since 2013 · 213 posts · 61 votes
Who is reponsible for maintenance such as gutter cleaning and roto rooter? The LL or the tenant?
I have the impression that if it's not the tenants fault to clog the gutters or the sewer, the landlord should take care of it. I'd like to hear how other LL approach this.
Rental Property Investor · Mercer Island, WA · Member since 2008 · 22k+ posts · 14k+ votes
13y
Exactly as you say. If the tenant shoves diapers down the toilet, they pay to unclog them. Hard to imagine how a tenant would clog the gutters. If its, say, roots coming in through bad joints, landlord pays.
Duplex Investor · Syracuse, NY · Member since 2013 · 75 posts · 19 votes
13y
Hello Yinan Q., I agree with Jon Holdman on this one. The landlord has a vested interest in making sure the property is kept up over time so for routine maintenance I would just handle/pay for the work myself. When it comes to toilets if the tenant or the tenants' kids are flushing things that should not be flushed then yes, they are going to pay.
Chanhassen, MN · Member since 2012 · 31 posts · 3 votes
13y
Needs to be spelled out in your lease though. If they choose to fight you on whether or not they need to do it/finance it and you don't actually have in the lease that they are expected to take care of such things, you're going to be eating the bill.
That being said, I would never consider letting my tenant's doing anything greater then minimum repairs. If it's something from normal use or wear and tear, I repair it and handle the cost. If it's something they are responsible for and are liable for per the terms of my lease, I still repair it or get it repaired and send them the bill.
I have specifically in my lease that "flushable" items besides waste and toilet paper is considered misuse too. "Flushable" is a bold faced lie in my experience!