Caring For a Rental Property

Proper Expectations and having a game plan for managing your rental property, will determine your experience and success.

Those who live in a rental property may have questions regarding how they should care for their domicile. While treating the property with respect and not intentionally doing damage to the property should be understood there are other gray areas where tenants may not be sure what their rights and responsibilities are in the rental situation. In most of these cases, these questions may be resolved by carefully reviewing the rental agreement. This may provide the tenant a great deal of insight regarding which items will be corrected by the leasing agent and which items are the responsibilities of the tenant.

Treat the Property Like it Is Your Home

The heading to this subsection is surely appropriate in theory but actually it may not be true. The theory behind treating a rental property like it’s your house is that you should treat the rental property in the same way you’d treat your own house. This means the renter shouldn’t intentionally damage or otherwise neglect the rental property. It also implies that the tenant should care for the rental property by making necessary repairs as they arise.

However, the fact of this heading isn’t true because tenants are often not free to treat a rental property like it was their home. Householders are free to make modifications at any time to their property. Renters don’t have this alternative and are only allowed to make modifications which are permitted by the contract agreement. These permissible modifications are normally rather insignificant in nature.

Seek Assistance from the Property Manager When Warranted

Tenants should also seek assistance from the property manager when there are repairs which fall under the jurisdiction of the property owner or manager. Such repairs might include items such as unclogging drains, fixing appliances and making modifications to the residence such as installing lighting features. Although the tenant perhaps capable of performing some or all of these actions, the rental agreement may specify these items are the responsibility of the property owner or manager. Tenants who attempt to fix these items perhaps held liable for damages which occur during these attempts.

Similarly, the rental agreement may imply, by omission, that certain items are the responsibility of the tenant. These perhaps small items such as changing light bulbs or similar items. In these cases the tenant is free to make the adjustments. However, in other situations where the rental agreement specifies the flat manager will handle certain complaints, these complaints should be called to the attention of management.

When the Property Manager Isn’t Doing His Job

Tenants may encounter a trouble where the flat manager isn’t being responsive to his complaints and isn’t addressing situations which are brought to his attention. When this occurs the tenant may have no choice but to bring this to the attention of the property manager’s supervisor. When a property manager is required to make sure repairs and address certain issues and fails to do so, he’s making a hazard for the members of the community. This is why the tenant shouldn’t allow these transgressions to occur. The tenant should also not be fearful of retaliation by the property manager as the contract will likely specify the tenants rights to complain to a higher authority about the quality of service they’re receiving.