According to data from LendingTree, as many as 58% of renters say they've had a landlord that they've disliked.
Tenant satisfaction is crucial for success in the real estate industry, and there are a lot of factors that can impact how happy your tenants are. Property maintenance is crucial, as your tenants will quickly become dissatisfied if you don't look after the property they're living in. At the same time, there are certain tenant responsibilities when it comes to maintenance, so not everything will fall to you.
In this guide, we'll look at tenant and landlord maintenance responsibilities so you can stay on top of things with your Daytona Beach rental properties. Keep reading for more.
Legal Responsibilities
All tenants have certain legal responsibilities that revolve around rental property maintenance. These are typically laid out within local, state, and federal laws. Some common examples include:
- Keeping the rental unit clean
- Reporting any issues to the owner
- Using appliances and fixtures properly
Tenants are also required to follow health and safety codes. They should avoid any actions that could create hazards. All of this helps ensure a property remains safe and livable.
Routine Cleaning
Routine cleaning almost always falls to the tenant. It involves general tasks such as:
- Sweeping
- Mopping
- Vacuuming
All of these help ensure cleanliness and sanitation. They can be particularly important in kitchens and bathrooms where issues like mold and pests can be more common.
While these everyday cleaning tasks are down to the tenant, landlords are responsible for large repairs and home maintenance. The combination of these will help ensure a good living space and support property value.
Minor Repairs and Maintenance
There are various small maintenance tasks that tenants may be responsible for. These typically include things like:
- Changing light bulbs
- Unclogging blocked drains
- Changing smoke detector batteries
It's important to note that these aren't always legally required. As such, it can be a good idea to outline these in your lease agreement. Doing so will help ensure there's no confusion about tenant responsibilities. It's easy enough for tenants to handle these small tasks themselves, and in doing so, they can help prevent major issues from arising.
Optional Maintenance Tasks
You can discuss optional maintenance tasks with your tenants to come to an agreement. For example, you might decide between you who should be responsible for yard maintenance.
You may want to do this on a case-by-case basis. Depending on the property and the tenants in question, you could settle on different agreements with different tenants. Again, when a decision is made, it should be outlined clearly in the lease agreement to avoid any confusion.
Staying on Top of Property Maintenance
Having lease agreements that clearly outline all property maintenance responsibilities will help you keep your properties in good shape. Make sure you handle the duties you need to in check to make sure tenants are doing the same. A property manager can oversee this for you which can be very helpful.
PMI Daytona Flagler is a full-service real estate asset management company serving Palm Coast, Flagler Beach, Daytona Beach, and the surrounding areas. Our experienced property managers can take care of all maintenance responsibilities and can also help you create reliable lease agreements for any of your properties.
Take a look at our property management page to find out more.
