As a landlord, you want to make sure that your investment property is maintained to a high standard, not only for your tenants happiness, but also so that the property doesn’t depreciate in value. Common questions from landlords are “What are my responsibilities, and what are my tenants?” This is simply a shared responsibility, from both landlords and tenants. These responsibilities should be stated in the tenancy agreement provided to tenants before they move into the property. Below are some pointers to know who is responsible for common issues:
The Landlord:
- Preventative Maintenance. Preventative maintenance is general jobs that will need doing to the property over time to prevent any issues, e.g. boiler services, bleeding radiators, checking the roof, cleaning guttering and drains.
- Any issues caused overtime. If, as a landlord, you haven’t completed preventative maintenance, there is a high chance that the property can develop bigger issues, such as boiler breakdowns, mould and damp.
- Smoke and CO detectors. It is the landlords responsibility that these should be installed in the property and if any break, to replace these. Smoke detectors should be on every level of a property, and a CO detector should be placed in every room with a gas appliance.
The Tenant:
- Cleaning. It is the tenants responsibility to keep the property clean and tidy, e.g. wiping surfaces, hoovering, mopping floors, etc.
- Issues they have caused. If a tenant has caused an issue, such as a hole in a wall, it is their responsibility to pay for this to be repaired.
- White good appliances brought to the property when moving in. If, for example, no fridge or washing machine was provided to tenants when moving in, and they brought their own, they are responsible for fixing this.
- Changing batteries in smoke and CO detectors. If the batteries drain from these, it is the tenants responsibility to fix. If this has broken, it is the landlord’s responsibility. These also should be checked regularly.
- General maintenance. Tenants are responsible for general maintenance, e.g. changing lightbulbs, repairing toilet seat hinges, etc.
