Landlord vs. Tenant Responsibilities and Maintenance

Property agents - solution to issues between landlords and tenants

In case of house renting, both the parties the Landlord and the Tenant are always in question that who is responsible for what work. That is why, a well done rental agreement with the help of a property agent is very important so that there can be proper understanding of each one’s contractual obligation to maintain the property.

Landlord and Tenant facing issues regarding maintenance of the property.
Landlord and Tenant arguing over contractual obligations

The following are some of the Tenant’s Maintenance Responsibilities – 

  • Tenants in general are expected to keep the property clean and avoid any damages to the property deliberately.
  • As per contract, the Tenants might need to replace batteries of smoke detectors and fire alarms in order to make sure they are working properly.
  • Disposing the trash is a very important daily work of the Tenants.
  • When it comes to Pest control, it is tenant’s responsibility to properly maintain the sanitation of the house so that there are no insecticides or infestation. If the tenant does not keep a clean home, the landlord may deduct some amount from the tenant’s security deposit as per the lease.
  • Waste management is a very important matter for good hygiene. It definitely falls under tenant’s responsibility to properly dispose of any garbage which otherwise could contribute to pest infestations and diseases.
  • When it comes to plumbing or air conditioning, it is Tenant’s responsibility to use these fixtures properly. He should keep the pipes clear and replace the air filters too. He should report any issues to the landlord quickly to prevent further damages without any delay so that the landlord can take care of the issue accordingly.
  • At the time of the signing of contract, if Landscaping maintenance is already mentioned as a clause, then the tenant has to take care of it accordingly as otherwise, he can be fined for violating the contract.
  • Tenant should return the property in the same condition as it was at the time of the lease term. If there are any damages then the tenant needs to fix it before the handover or the landlord has the right to deduct the expenses from the tenant’s security deposit.
Rental Agreement
Rental agreement between the Landlord and the Tenant – for proper understanding of each one’s contractual obligation to maintain the property.

The following are some of the Landlord’s Maintenance Responsibilities – 

  • When it comes to plumbing or air conditioning, it is the landlord’s responsibility to keep these systems in working condition and fixing any kind of problems with regards to these.
  • It is owner’s responsibility to do the pest control if there is an infestation.
  • The common areas like the elevators and other common-use areas also fall under landlord’s responsibility to keep them properly safe and clean.
  • It is the landlord’s responsibility to keep the premises of the house in a reasonable state and in compliance with the safety laws.
  • All the mentioned appliances, in the contract should be kept in working order by the landlord.
  • The landlord is responsible for most of the repairs of the home like the interior and exterior of the house, doors and windows, stairs, roof, electrical wiring, chimneys, pipes and drains, gas appliances etc

Intervention of the Property Agents – 

Throughout the period of the tenancy, either parties of the contract, i.e. the landlord and tenant might face some issues that are difficult to resolve alone all by themselves. In such cases, both the parties look for a third party to mediate and resolve the problem. Here comes in the role of one of the property agents who handled the rental transaction. In many cases the respective agent steps into the matter and tries to bring a solution to the problem.

However, it is true that it is not a mandatory responsibility of the Agent to resolve such issues but some agents does step in to help and solve landlord-tenant problems simply out of goodwill. Again in some cases, the parties formally engage their agent to manage their property.

Property Agents are professionals with adequate knowledge in their field and hence can easily resolve difficult issues. Hence it is always better to bring in our Agents so that the solution can be surfaced at ease.

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Property agents - solution to issues between landlords and tenants
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