LANDLORD RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Your tenants know that they have to take care of the apartment, condominium or house they rent from you. If they don’t, they can be evicted. But it’s a two-way street. As the landlord, you have landlord responsibilities to keep that property habitable or risk fines and/or lawsuits for violating state laws and local housing codes.

On your end, you have to make every effort to ensure that your rental property is clean and safe and be prepared to deal with issues such as:

• plumbing, electricity and heating/cooling
• structural integrity (walls, roof, foundation)
• internal/external presentation (no chipped/peeling paint)
• landscape maintenance (lawns trimmed, no trash on the property)

It’s a lot of work to be sure, but the upside is that the better maintained your property, the better your chances of finding good tenants. And the more prompt you are about responding to problems like pest control, leaky faucets, malfunctioning heaters/coolers, the more likely you are to actually keep those good tenants.

By the same token, your tenants need to know what you expect from them. From the day they sign the lease, you should emphasize the importance of cleaning up around the property, taking out the trash regularly and communicating about problems in a timely manner. Keeping a rental unit clean and safe is, after all, a joint responsibility.

At Herman Boswell, we know how important it is to develop relationships with tenants based on trust and mutuality. But for busy landlords on the go like you, that can be a challenge. Our team of real estate professionals can help you take care of your tenants. If property management responsibilities are making you feel like there’s no exit, contact us!