Your Opinions On Landlord/Tenant Responsibilities

[Jay Flaggs]

Hello BP Community,

I have a rental property in California and have some questions about how other investors approach landlord/tenant responsibilities. I tend to lean towards making things as easy as possible for the tenant. However, I'm finding that it's quite expensive to do so, and I don't quite have the resources to do everything. I didn't lay out every single detail in the lease agreement, but looking to do so next time. So please help to point out some things to add to my next lease! Basically, when a tenant calls with an issue, when do you tell them to "Take care of it yourself" and when do you say, "I'll have it fixed right away"?? Here are just some of the things I'm referring to:

• Pool/Jacuzzi maintenance
• Fireplace maintenance
• Wood Flooring maintenance
• Indoor Appliances (Dishwasher, Oven, etc)
• Outdoor Appliances (AC units, Grill, Firepit, etc)
• HVAC maintenance/inspections
• Lawncare and sprinkler system maintenance
• Pluming issues (toilets, sinks, etc)
• Water heater replacements
• Electrical issues(lightbulbs, ceiling fans, etc)
• ...the list goes on!

There are so many details to consider that it seems the list could go on forever. I haven't seen a lease agreement online that covers all of these costs, so how do you go about specifying what costs are the landlord/tenant's responsibility? If not specified in the lease agreement, how do you handle disputes about who should pay for what?

P.S. My tenant has decades of legal experience, so that is why I'm trying to get my ducks in a row and get things documented properly.