In the United States today, about 36% of American households rent their homes. Because damage to the home is also quite common, this begs the question, "What responsibilities does my tenant have?"
Basic tenant responsibilities include disposing of garbage, maintaining appliances, and respecting the neighbors' peace and quiet. However, does the tenant have a responsibility to repair the house? Read on to find out what repairs tenants should do and others that they shouldn't.
Do Legal Tenant Responsibilities Even Include Home Repairs?
As is the case with many rental property laws, they vary from state to state. For example, in Florida, tenants are not allowed to make their own repairs and simply subtract the total cost from the rent. However, they are allowed to do something about home issues that the landlord is neglecting.
If the landlord refuses to make the necessary repairs, the tenant can withhold from paying the rent until the landlord makes an effort to resolve the problem. This is just one of the few tenant rights that they have.
What Rental Home Repairs Are Tenants Responsible For?
Before conducting any repairs whatsoever, they must first read the tenant handbook to have a solid understanding of their obligations and what the landlord expects of them. Below, we have outlined some basic repairs and maintenance operations that the tenant should be aware of that are mentioned in the handbook.
1. Air Conditioner Maintenance
Tenants are firstly responsible for making sure that the air conditioner and heater are cleaned and the filters are replaced every so often. Furthermore, because dust can accumulate at the vents, the tenant should use some kind of small brush and prevent this from happening.
2. Drain Cleaning
This goes for both garbage disposals as well as bathroom shower drains. If you're residing in an investment property, the last thing you want to do is let the drains get clogged up with hair, food, soap, or anything else. This would result in you having to call the plumber to resolve the issue when you easily could have prevented it.
3. Sliding Door Tracks
The tenant must keep the sliding glass door/window tracks free of dust and debris. This is because it can have the potential of damaging both the sliding track and the wheels—which would result in unnecessary expenses to be worked out by the landlord and tenant.
4. Mold Accumulation
When rental property inspections take place, one thing that they look out for is whether or not mold has formed around the edges of the shower, bathtub, and tile walls. If this happens, the tenant can remove it by simply scrubbing it with bleach.
Contact Gulf Coast Property Management Today
Well, there you have it. We have outlined some basic tenant responsibilities and maintenance operations that they should be aware of. If you're wondering where you can go to get the best property management out there, Gulf Coast Property Management is the answer.
What are you waiting for? Contact them here today! You won't be disappointed.
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