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Caring For a Rental Property
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Those who live in a rental property may have questions regarding how they should care for
their domicile. While treating the property with respect and not intentionally doing damage
to the property should be understood there are other gray areas where renters may not be
sure what their rights and responsibilities are in the rental situation. In most of these
cases, these questions can be resolved by carefully reviewing the rental agreement. This
can provide the renter a great deal of insight regarding which items will be corrected
by the leasing agent and which items are the responsibilities of the renter.
Treat the Property Like it Is Your Home
The heading to this subsection is certainly appropriate in theory but in reality it
may not be true. The theory behind treating a rental property like it is your home
is that you should treat the rental property in the same way you would treat your
own home. This means the renter should not intentionally damage or otherwise neglect
the rental property. It also implies that the renter should care for the rental
property by making necessary repairs as they arise.
However, the reality of this heading is not true because renters are often not
free to treat a rental property like it was their home. Homeowners are free to
make modifications at any time to their property. Renters do not have this option
and are only allowed to make modifications which are permitted by the contract
agreement. These permissible modifications are usually rather insignificant in nature.
Seek Assistance from the Property Manager When Warranted
Renters should also seek assistance from the property manager when there are
repairs which fall under the jurisdiction of the property owner or manager.
Such repairs might include items such as unclogging drains, fixing appliances
and making modifications to the residence such as installing lighting features.
Although the renter may be capable of performing some or all of these actions,
the rental agreement may specify these items are the responsibility of the
property owner or manager. Renters who attempt to fix these items may be
held liable for damages which occur during these attempts.
Similarly, the rental agreement may imply, by omission, that certain items
are the responsibility of the renter. These may be small items such as
changing light bulbs or similar items. In these cases the renter is free
to make the adjustments. However, in other situations where the rental
agreement specifies the apartment manager will handle certain complaints,
these complaints should be called to the attention of management.
When the Property Manager Isn’t Doing His Job
Renters may encounter a problem where the apartment manager is not being
responsive to his complaints and is not addressing situations which are
brought to his attention. When this occurs the renter may have no choice
but to bring this to the attention of the property manager’s supervisor.
When a property manager is required to make certain repairs and address
certain issues and fails to do so, he is creating a hazard for the
members of the community. This is why the renter should not allow
these transgressions to occur. The renter should also not be fearful
of retaliation by the property manager because the contract will
likely specify the renter’s rights to complain to a higher authority
about the quality of service they are receiving.
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