How do you deal with a tenant constantly asking to make repairs?

[Sam Bhattacharya]

Say you have a tenant who wants you to replace carpeting that is worn but still functional.  Or he wants you to fix a gutter that is old but still does the job.  Or he wants you to paint a kitchen ceiling when all it needs is a cleaning.

The tenant does this type of work himself, so he benefits from doing these things every time you pay him to do them.

What would be your approach to dealing with this?  Where do you draw the line and say "no"?

[Tom Fidrych]

I certainly wouldn't be paying the tenant to do these repairs. Seems he's dreaming up work for himself.
Regarding the carpet and gutter , just say the monthly rental fee takes the condition of these items. If you would like a new carpet and gutter, the rent will need to go up. Cleaning walls is a tenant responsibility.
You are required to meet the conditions of habitability. These are the items should be dealt with. Function water systems, electrical, stairs, etc.

[Jeff Copeland]

Check out this video (I have no affiliation with the law firm, they just have a tone of great info for PMs and Landlords). 

[Paul De Luca]

@Sam Bhattacharya

Agreed with @Tom Fidrych. Don't pay your tenant to make repairs at your property - if you do he's going to be looking for things to fix.

I would state that the apartment is "as is" when he signed the lease and unless it's a legitimate defect (sink leaking, something broke, etc) then no changes will be made. If he keeps complaining offer to terminate the lease so he can move on. If he wants to do all this work himself he can buy his own property to live in.

[Eliott Elias]

First off, tell them to stop all communication with you on your phone number and start communicating via email. I draw the line and say no if it is not a health violation the issue is regarding 

[Richard F.]

Aloha,

Our Rental Application has a series of notices on it that include: 1) Unit is rented in the condition it was shown. No additional cosmetics or upgrades will be performed without prior written approval by PM. 2) During Move-in inspection, only "damages" will be noted, along with "new", "OK", "fair", or "poor" as overall indicator for any particular element. Age or corrosion are not damage. Functional issues only will be addressed after move in. 3) No additional cleaning will be performed prior to, or after, move-in. Unclean is not damage.

By the sound of it, some of these items should have been addressed before you rented the unit, unless the tenant has been in place for 10 or 15 years. If it is a long term tenant, he should have had the carpets cleaned periodically rather than just grinding in the dirt. This is something that should be addressed when interim inspections are done. Same with the kitchen ceiling, assuming it is grease/smoke buildup. Is there an appropriate vent hood, and is it functional? If so, tenant should be responsible for creating a potential hazard if it is mostly grease accumulation.

[Matt Devincenzo]

I wouldn't have done any of those...maybe carpet IF it was 10 years old, and they moved in 5 years ago e.g. the wear has gotten to a point where replacement is reasonable. Otherwise I'd have only done the gutter for example when I decided it was time to do them or when they failed depending on the item. 

[John Morgan]

@Sam Bhattacharya

I’ll pay my tenants occasionally for things if it’s cheaper to use them. But if it happens frequently, I’ll hire someone else and raise their rent to market rent each year. This tenant sounds like a pain. Good ones get to stay cheap. Needy ones get big bumps in rent.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Sam Bhattacharya:

1. I have a written warning that Tenant was given the opportunity to inspect the rental before applying and renting it. They accept it in its current condition, meaning we will repair things that break through ordinary wear-and-tear but we will not be making improvements to the property during their tenancy. If the tenant wants something updated, I point them to that clause and politely decline their request. If they continue to request, I tell them they can terminate their lease, pay the penalty, and find a rental that better suits their tastes.

2. If a tenant is skilled and offers to make updates, I may allow it but only after confirming their skill and only if they are willing to pay for the improvement. If it's something that typically requires a professional with a lot of experience, then I typically won't allow the Tenant to make the improvement because there's too much risk of them doing it wrong and there's the risk of liability when they are not insured. In those situations, I may consider hiring a professional and splitting the cost with the Tenant, but it's going to be expensive and I would have to question why the Tenant is willing to pay that much for an improvement. Is their rent too low?

3. Everything is in writing. I use a written agreement that spells out exactly what they want to do, what materials they will use, when it will be finished, it must pass my inspection, if it is done improperly then the Tenant will pay for a professional to correct it, etc. My agreement also spells out what happens when the tenant leaves. If it's a bigger job and I am paying the tenant, I spell out exactly what I will pay  with a clearly defined maximum. I don't leave anything to chance.

If you want a copy of a sample agreement, connect with me and send me a direct message asking for my Tenant Alteration Request.

[Sam Bhattacharya]

Quote from @Eliott Elias:

First off, tell them to stop all communication with you on your phone number and start communicating via email. I draw the line and say no if it is not a health violation the issue is regarding 

I’m wondering if there’s a reason to tell the tenant to stop communicating by phone.  I was under the impression this kept things accessible and transparent for them.

[Bob Stevens]

Quote from @Sam Bhattacharya:

Say you have a tenant who wants you to replace carpeting that is worn but still functional.  Or he wants you to fix a gutter that is old but still does the job.  Or he wants you to paint a kitchen ceiling when all it needs is a cleaning.

The tenant does this type of work himself, so he benefits from doing these things every time you pay him to do them.

What would be your approach to dealing with this?  Where do you draw the line and say "no"?

ANOTHER reason everyone needs a PM CO, . What you should have done is a " , move in " You have a check list of everything. The tenant agrees all is well and signs your move in check list. now if a month later they want something you say no, if you want it do it yourself. Of course if they have been there for years and an items is wears out from normal wear and tear, well.  Otherwise, you agreed all was ok or you would not have moved in, right? Ok so then do it yourself if you want it. If they keep busting shops, evict, 

[Eliott Elias]

Quote from @Sam Bhattacharya:

Quote from @Eliott Elias:

First off, tell them to stop all communication with you on your phone number and start communicating via email. I draw the line and say no if it is not a health violation the issue is regarding 

I’m wondering if there’s a reason to tell the tenant to stop communicating by phone.  I was under the impression this kept things accessible and transparent for them.

 If you keep yourself accessible they will exploit it. At the end of the day you are a business, they email you during business hours and call for emergencies 

[Dominic A.]

Needs to be in writing (email etc.) but generally, we don't allow any changes until at least the 1st full year.

After that, use your best judgement and go on a job-by-job basis and inspect (for example: they paint one wall or room before you let them paint multiple spaces, AND the color is approved in writing as well).