Are you a landlord who’s tempted to take shortcuts when it comes to maintaining your rental property? Think again. In this post, we’ll discuss why it’s important for you to stay in charge of repairs, maintenance, and improvements, and how tenant repair request allow tenants to take on these responsibilities can end up costing you more in the long run.
Scenario 1: Tenant Repair Request: Letting Your Tenant Paint the Walls
Your tenant may offer to paint the walls to “brighten up the place,” but this could end up being a bad idea. Most tenants are not professional painters, which can result in sloppy work. Additionally, there is potential for property damage, such as paint spills that are hard to clean and may lead to costly repairs. Your tenant’s color choice may not have wide appeal, which means you may have to repaint before marketing the property after they vacate. And finally, there is potential for injury if your tenant falls off a ladder while painting.
If the property needs to be painted, it’s best to invest the time and money to do it right. While allowing your tenant to paint may seem like a gesture that inspires loyalty, you should be in charge of the process every step of the way.
Scenario 2: Tenant Repair Request: Allowing Your Tenant to Fix a Leaky Sink
Your tenant may offer to repair a leaky sink in the kitchen, but it’s risky to allow your tenant to make any repair, large or small. It’s possible that the well-meaning repair attempt will lead to greater property damage. If the repair involves water, it’s even more of a liability.
While you can allow your tenant to change a light bulb or mow the grass, you should manage all repairs that impact the safety, habitability, and functionality of the property.
Scenario 3: Tenant Repair Request: Allowing Your Tenant to Negotiate Reduced Rent in Exchange for Making Repairs
Your tenant may be a self-proclaimed handyman who wants to negotiate reduced rent in exchange for making repairs. While this may seem like a good deal, it muddies the waters of the landlord-tenant relationship and reduces your control over the condition of your own property. In a standard relationship, the tenant submits a repair request, and the landlord evaluates, chooses the service vendor, and manages the repair process. When you give your tenant permission to make repairs, you risk being cut out of the loop and forfeiting the ability to evaluate, prioritize, price shop, and ensure quality.
It can be tempting to take shortcuts that will save you time (and, you think, money). But these kinds of shortcuts take you down a winding unpredictable trail that puts you and your property in jeopardy. If you’re not interested in assessing and managing repairs, maintenance, and improvements for your property, consider hiring a property management company to do it for you. This is one of the many tasks they can take off of your plate.
In conclusion, taking shortcuts when it comes to maintaining your rental property can end up being more costly in the long run. It’s important to stay in charge of repairs, maintenance, and improvements, and to manage all repairs that impact the safety, habitability, and functionality of the property. Don’t risk taking shortcuts – invest the time and money to do it right.
