Recently I have been astonished by the cheek of a tenant who said his solicitor told him he need not pay his rent because the lawn mover and the hoover weren’t working, even though a cleaner was going in fortnightly. Sadly sometimes letting properties or rooms in a shared house can come down to control, manipulation, lack of management skills and property abuse on both the landlord and tenants side. Please also understand that good relationship on both sides can mean properties are looked after impeccably.
We all know that occasionally repairs don’t get done because of bad landlords and we also know that often they don’t get done because they aren’t reported by the tenants.
Problems often arise where repairs in rental properties are concerned, merely because of confusion and unease for tenants. Many tenants aren’t sure exactly who’s responsible for what and what they can ask their landlord to repair.
To help bridge the knowledge gap and de-mystify this grey area, lets look at what is deemed a reasonable repair request and what’s required of landlords and tenants.
The landlord is responsible for most repairs in the home. This applies to private landlords, councils and housing associations.
Their responsibilities include repairs to:
electrical wiring
gas pipes and boilers
heating and hot water
chimneys and ventilation
sinks, baths, toilets, pipes and drains
common areas including entrance halls and stairways
the structure and exterior of the building, including walls, stairs and bannisters, roof, external doors and windows
Your landlord should also redecorate if needed once the problem is fixed.
Your landlord is always responsible for these repairs even if your tenancy agreement says something different.
The tenant is responsible for
keeping the home reasonably clean
safety checks on electrical appliances they own
keeping gardens or outside area in a reasonable state
minor maintenance such a s changing light bulbs or smoke alarm batteries.
Damaged caused by the tenant or their guests
Tenants only need to maintain the home to a reasonable level and they don’t have to leave it in a better condition than when they moved in. It is the tenant’s responsibility in all circumstances to report any repairs to the landlord as soon as possible.
So there you have it - the ‘who’s and when’s’ of maintenance in a rented property. Always document these things clearly in the contract and hopefully that will decrease potential problems associated to MAINTENANCE AND TENANTS.
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