All Forum Posts by: Lev Bass

I'm a landlord in Mass. The lease (single family house) states that the tenant is responsible for "maintaining the grounds, i.e. grass mowing and snow ploughing". Currently the roof leaks in several places, so it looks like the ice dams need to be removed. The question is who should pay for it?

Thanks Ralph and Jon.
The property is a single family house, I bought the washer when I lived there 7 years ago.
I doubt I can fix it cheaply - people mention $700 estimates they get from Sears (it's a Kenmore). I guess I can try to fix it myself but it would take a lot of time since I've never dealt with washers.
Craigslist is a good idea, will look.

Lev

The washer needs to be replaced. It's a front loader. Tenants prefer another front loader, which would be about $500. Top loaders cost about $300. Is it ok to ask tenants to pay half of the difference if they have a strong preference for a front loader?

Thanks
Lev

The basement is large (colonial with an addition), so small unit won't do. One thing makes running it easier is that we have a french drain with 2 sump pumps there, so it won't need to be emptied manually.
The tenants wrote that they would get a dehumidifier in a few weeks. If they refused we would have bought it ourselves.
Thanks for the responses!
Lev

Quick (I hope) question: we moved and rented out the house. We used to have a dehumidifier in the basement but we took it to the new house. The tenants don't have one. Do we need to buy it because high humidity affects our basement or do they, because it affects their belongings stored there and, potentially, their health?

According to our broker's attorney there is no law requiring landlords to provide a dehumidifier if there is a basement (we are in Mass). The lease doesn't mention a dehumidifier.

The tenants wrote that they won't be able to afford it for a few weeks because of moving expenses, so it seems they are not refusing to do it outright. This makes me think of another alternative: we buy it now, they pay us in, let's say, 3 months.

Thanks!
Lev