Chan,
I am sorry to read about your boiler issue and the lack of understanding from one of your tenant’s. Every city & County has their own ordnance, & how quickly a landlord must respond to emergencies. In some locales it is 30 days, 24 hours, sometimes it simply is not part of the calculation, which does seem punitive for the landlord. You compared your own home/residence, to your tenant’s apartment. This is like comparing a bear to a mountain. Understand, I can appreciate how you felt, but also how the tenant felt, knowing they are paying a monthly rent, in addition to a security fee. In your home, you can do what you want, when you want. A homeowner has multiple responsibilities for the maintenance of their own home. The apartment is the tenant’s home. They do not share any responsibility with you for ensuring the safety and working order of equipment. They cannot do what they want, take their time to replace equipment or shop around for the best price. The tenant is at the mercy of the landlord’s action or inaction. Landlords, willingly take on a monumental responsibility. Additionally, boilers are very dangerous. They must be maintained, in good operating order at all times. In addition to maintenance, all boilers must be inspected once or twice a year. This is mandatory, it is law. Depending what your local ordinance stipulates, the inspection can be once or twice a year. With the proper maintenance of any boiler, the operator will know in advance regarding any potential problems with the operation of a boiler. You referred to this tenant as “ ignorant.” While the tenant may have been frustrated, leading to what could have been impatient, they did not appear “ ignorant” based on your editorial. It is an enormous responsibility taking on the role as a landlord. This is just a thought; keep emotion in check, it will not help you & refrain from using adjectives referring to a tenant. They keep you in business, it least as a landlord. This is just a suggestion, you may want to research boilers, become familiar with the operation. I wish you continual success, remember, not all people respond or react the same way. Understand an apartment is someone’s home. They do not have the luxury of waiting to replace or repair equipment, they depend on you. Legally, you are accountable and responsible. As challenging as it maybe, keep the emotion out of what is a repair or replacement. This is afterall, what you freely accepted as a landlord. Best Wishes - Grace
