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What Are Tenant Responsibilities in a Rental Property?
Posted on July 23, 2021
What are tenant responsibilities for repairs and maintenance? Or should the question be do tenants actually have repair and maintenance responsibilities? Yes they do!
Tenant responsibilities for repairs is definitely a thing. As a new tenant, everything in your rental property should be in working order, but it is natural for some wear and tear to occur over the course of months or years.
(More wear and tear is expected in a rental property over the course of a longer tenancy, for example, than over the course of a shorter tenancy).
However, there are a few things you should be aware of:
- First and foremost, a tenancy agreement must be in place so that both you and your landlord are aware of your responsibilities. As a result, tenants should be aware of their obligations as stated in the tenancy agreement!
- Tenants should be aware that they are liable for repair or replacement if they cause damage (This is not to be confused with wear and tear).
- Damage that is intentional, caused by visitors, or as a result of negligence and affects the normal function of the property is considered the tenant’s responsibility.
- Damage caused but not by the tenant, such as a leak from a rental property, should not be the tenant’s responsibility. However, it is critical to notify the landlord as soon as possible to make repairs without causing further damage.
Property maintenance as a tenant may include, but is not limited to:
- Cleaning the interior and exterior of the rental property
- Changing light bulbs and plugs in supplied appliances
- Changing the batteries in smoke detectors
- Keeping pests out of the rental property
- General maintenance like lawn mowing
- Keeping the property safe and secure
In general, a tenant is expected to treat the rental property with respect by keeping it in good condition.
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This blog post is not intended to constitute legal advice.
