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8 home repair tasks every
landlord should learn how to do
A lot can go wrong with a
rental unit, but a landlord with the skills, knowledge, and tools to
handle basic repair tasks can save lots of money.
If you aren’t interested in
doing maintenance and repair work yourself, because you prefer a
hands-off approach, that’s great. But you’ll need an extensive
contact list of home repair pros. If you want to do this work
yourself, you’ve reduced your dependency on third-party schedules and
can potentially save significant amounts of money.
Note: Even if you’re in a
position to do repairs yourself, you shouldn’t expect to handle all
of them. Certain repair tasks, such as those related to heating and
cooling systems, require professional certification, while others,
such as changing a shower valve, call for specialized skills. That
still leaves a fairly long list of basic repair tasks you can do
yourself. Here are eight of the most common ones.
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When is a tenant
responsible for repairs?
Whether you
own a home or rent one, things eventually break, malfunction, or wear
out.
Generally
if you’re a renter and you break something, you pay to repair it. If
something breaks not because of you, such as because of age, the
landlord is typically responsible. But what about minor repairs that
are inexpensive or simple enough to do yourself?
You might
be better off just handling them yourself. Before calling the
landlord for every minor maintenance or repair issue, consider who
should really be handling those repairs.
Check your
lease agreement for repairs
There’s no
need to stress out the moment that bathroom sink faucet starts to
drip. Before wondering if you’re in charge of such repairs, check
your rental agreement. In most cases, the contract discusses which
repairs are the landlord’s responsibility and which may be yours.
For
instance, Landlordology writer and rental owner Laura Agadoni
includes language in her rental agreements noting that tenants are
responsible for repairs $50 or less. Anything costing more
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Portland City Council
approves some changes to two controversial rental ordinances
PORTLAND,
Ore. – The City Council voted Wednesday to approve several amendments
to a pair of ordinances that would change the rules for rental
properties in Portland.
One covers
security deposits, the other is about tenant requirements. The latter
is especially controversial because it would force landlords to
consider certain applicants, even those with a criminal history.
In part, it
says landlords can’t reject applicants who had an arrest that didn’t
result in a conviction, a conviction when underage, misdemeanor
convictions sentenced three years prior to the housing application
date, or a felony offense conviction in which the sentencing happened
seven years prior to the application.
Another
part of that ordinance would make it so that landlords could only
require tenants to prove that their monthly income is up to twice the
price of rent, if the rental is affordable to 80% or more of the
area’s median income.
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A biyearly maintenance
schedule for busy landlords
If you own
rental properties, you know that each one needs a maintenance
schedule. You have a couple of alternatives if you don’t want to pay
a property manager or maintenance service.
Create
maintenance agreements with tenants.
Find a way
of working a rental maintenance schedule into your routine.
Related: 5
Ways to Save Money by Being Your Own Property Manager
The first
alternative is a great idea if you have responsible, long-term
renters. But it might not be such a good one if you have a high
turnaround rate or unreliable renters.
If you find
the buck stopping at your desk, and your lifestyle won’t accommodate
a monthly maintenance schedule, don’t despair. You should be able to
take care of most major maintenance issues with biyearly visits,
preferably in mid- to late-fall and mid-spring.
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Education in Property
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