Property Maintenance

As a landlord, you hope that your rental property will be a lucrative investment with only minor headaches, but your job is not done once the lease is signed. You are responsible for providing tenants with a safe and clean living space, and in some cases, you or your property manager must quickly address issues that negatively impact your tenants’ quality of life. At the same time, tenants are responsible for maintaining the property and alerting you or your property manager to health or safety problems.

Landlord responsibilities: Refresh, repair and replace

You are required to provide a habitable living space for each tenant meaning the property must meet certain standards for safety, health and cleanliness and this requirement cannot be disclaimed or restricted by a lease agreement to the contrary. These basic requirements are often set forth in the tenancy agreement, which may require a landlord to keep plumbing and electrical wiring in constant working order. Your Ping Property Manager can help you with that.

Additional requirements may be included in the lease agreement. For instance, landlords may assume the responsibility that the air-conditioning is in working condition, whilst the tenants are required to service the air conditioning units every quarter.

Common areas in a condominium are normally maintained by the MCST, so owners need to be responsible for making regular payments of the maintenance fees to the MSCT for the upkeep of a high-use common area like a swimming pool or clubhouse.

Tenant obligations: Maintain and report

Tenants are typically responsible for ensuring their property stays sanitary, clean and in good repair. A landlord is generally not responsible for making any repairs caused by the tenant’s own carelessness. However, if a tenant notices an issue and fails to report it to the landlord or property manager, the tenant may be held liable for additional damage that would not have occurred had the tenant made a timely complaint. In addition, landlord can enforce tenant liability in the following scenarios:

- Failure to discard trash
- Removal of fixtures, including lights, appliances or permanent decorative items
- Damage occurring as a result of pet policy violations
- Damage caused by fires as a result of negligence or reckless conduct
- Misuse of designated rooms
- Use of the premises for unlawful purposes

Lastly, while they are occupying the property, tenants are usually responsible for covering costs associated with normal wear and tear, such as having the curtains cleaned.

Responding to maintenance issues

If a tenant experiences a major issue that impacts habitability, you or your property manager must generally respond within 24 hours of the complaint. Urgent issues affecting habitability include problems with air conditioning, indoor plumbing, electricity, pest infestation or any other issue that renders the unit unliveable.

Discuss with your Ping Property Manager to get a better understanding of your obligations as a landlord according to the tenancy agreement. This helps to ensure you are providing a healthy living environment for your tenants, and encourage your tenants to contact your Ping Property Manager when problems arise so we can help to address them before they turn into major repairs.

So are you a hands-on landlord, or would you prefer to avoid weekend maintenance calls? If you would rather have someone else handle the details, hiring a Ping Property Manager to manage your real estate investment might be the right choice for you. Yes, we do take a cut of your rental revenue, but we can also help streamline your business and free up your time. Remember, if you do not get paid your rental income, we do not get paid our property management fee too; we are committed to your rental investment as much as you are.