What to Do: Tenant and Heating Unit

[Keane Schmidt]

Hello, BP community!

Reaching out for advice on how to handle the following situation: My tenant turned off his heat for the weekend—temperatures are in the low 50s nowadays, as low as high 20s at night—while away on vacation. Before doing so, the heating unit, while old (30 years), was functioning fine and often—he kept the house in the 70s without issue.

When he got back, he turned the heat on, and it worked for a couple days before he relayed that there wasn’t any warm air coming through the vents and thought he smelled natural gas.

My questions: How would you proceed, if you were in this situation? (I.e., from corresponding with the tenant to having someone evaluate the heating unit, etc.)

My main concern isn’t the heating unit but rather the pipes, as we move into frigid season, and any adjacent damage caused by one bursting. (Perhaps that’s a non-concern to more experienced landlords, however!)

Any insights are welcome! Thank you!!

[Scott M.]

If not in your lease and your state allows for an addendum to be added, I would add one since he has a history of turning it off.