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.

[Max Gradowitz]

This is why I always have my units managed by an experienced property management company, because they've seen everything and their lease agreements address most or all of this stuff. But I'll share what my experience is to your list (I'm in a relatively conservative part of central CA):

Pool/Jacuzzi maintenance - landlord expense.

Fireplace maintenance - I havent dealt with this before honestly, but I would guess landlords typically take care of this.

Wood Flooring maintenance - what maintenance? If the tenant screws up the flooring after their lease is up, take it out of their deposit. Always have before and after pics. I don't know of any regular monthly/quarterly maintenance that floors require.

Indoor Appliances (Dishwasher, Oven, etc) - landlord expense. If the tenant doesn't fix it themselves, you'll need to fix it for the next tenants anyway.

Outdoor Appliances (AC units, Grill, Firepit, etc) - HVAC definitely landlord. Grill??? What rental property has a built in grill??? I don't even know what to say about that lol.

HVAC maintenance/inspections - HVAC is an essential part of the house, landlord expense. BUT tenants should be responsible for replacing the filter every few months, whether or not the landlord or the tenant pays for the filter. That is always specifically addressed in every lease I've seen.

Lawncare and sprinkler system maintenance - monthly gardener bill, landlord. If you put that expense on the tenant and they dont pay it, goodbye lawn, not good for you as a landlord, so just pay it. If a sprinkler blows and needs to be replaced, tenant. Super easy to do (I did this multiple times when I rented homes in my 20s).

Pluming issues (toilets, sinks, etc) - usually landlord, but it depends. Garbage disposal freezes up and just needs to be cranked, tenant.

Water heater replacements - really man???? You expect a tenant to replace a water heater on a home they might be 1 month away from moving out of once their lease is up? Is this really a question?

Electrical issues(lightbulbs, ceiling fans, etc) - this is actually a good question. light bulbs go out, definitely tenant. More complicated issues, it depends on if the tenant what the tenant is asking for.

The general idea here is that major parts of the home, like HVAC, permanently affixed appliances (some homes I've rented out have the tenants bring some of their own appliances), major electrical and plumbing, pool, etc are all part of the house that you need to maintain in order to keep the house sellable or leasable after the tenant leaves. Minor stuff like lightbulb replacement, sprinkler head replacement, stuck garbage disposal, etc are typically tenant expenses/responsibilities. Welcome to landlording, it's not cheap but in the long run it's profitable. Get a good management company with a detailed lease agreement. Good luck!