Owning and renting are the two primary options for living, and around 65.7% of Americans choose homeownership. Most of the rest rent. While owning a home is the American dream, renting offers some benefits.
For example, a rental property comes with a landlord who is responsible for repairing and maintaining the unit. The tenant pays rent, but the landlord does the rest.
However, tenants must perform some property maintenance. Learning these tasks is important if you're a landlord, as you must communicate and enforce them.
Continue reading to learn tenant responsibilities when renting.
Legal Tenant Maintenance Responsibilities in Jacksonville, FL
Property maintenance is something landlords do for their properties, but tenants also have legal responsibilities. These are the top ones to understand:
Keep Units Sanitary
First, tenants have the legal responsibility to keep their rental property relatively clean and sanitary. Failing to do this is a breach of lease, but you should include this statement in the lease to notify your tenants.
Landlords can inspect properties to determine if the tenants are complying with this requirement. However, you must give the tenant a reasonable notice before entering a Florida rental property.
In addition, tenants must not deliberately damage the units they rent. Normal wear and tear happen, but a tenant has no legal right to create property damage.
Dispose of Waste
Next, tenants are legally required to remove their trash. Landlords must supply a place to do this, but the tenant is responsible for removing the trash from their unit.
Notify the Landlord of Problems
Finally, one of the top tenant maintenance responsibilities is to notify the landlord of problems. Rental properties may experience problems with the plumbing, heating, or electrical systems.
When problems occur, the tenants are legally required to notify the landlord. The landlord will fix the problems and pay for the maintenance costs, but they must know about them to handle them.
Optional Tenant Maintenance Tasks in Jacksonville, FL
In addition to legal requirements, you can enforce optional tenant maintenance tasks. Here are some examples of optional tasks your tenants might need to perform:
- Yard maintenance
- Replacing HVAC air filters
- Replacing smoke detector batteries
- Deep cleaning their apartments
- Replacing light bulbs
Many landlords hire full-service property managers to enforce leases and handle preventative maintenance tasks. Of course, this is the easiest way to ensure well-cared-for properties.
Your lease should state what the tenants must do with their units. You can also refer to your property management contract to determine who will pay for the property maintenance expenses.
Conclusion Property Maintenance
Property maintenance protects your properties and is essential for your property values. While you have some responsibilities as a landlord, your tenants also have responsibilities.
Lay these out clearly in the lease so they understand them and inspect the units regularly to ensure they're doing that.
If you need help with this duty, hire a property manager.
Round Table Property Management serves the Jacksonville, FL, area. We have over 40 years of combined experience in real estate and aim to provide exceptional services to our clients. You can trust us!
Reach out today to learn more.
