How to Maintain Your Rental Property

As a landlord, maintaining your rental property is essential for maximizing your return on investment. Proper maintenance not only helps clarify your relationship with tenants but also reduces the risk of increased tenant turnover costs.

Neglecting maintenance can lead to breaches of state safety and health codes, potential lawsuits, or even tenants canceling their lease agreements without penalty.

When maintenance issues are left unaddressed, they tend to worsen over time. For example a small leak can escalate into significant structural damage, affecting more areas of your property.

5 Tips To Successfully Maintain Your Rental

From understanding your legal obligations to routine upkeep, these tips will help ensure your property remains in excellent condition.

1. Know Your Legal Responsibilities as a Landlord

Landlord-tenant laws usually outline landlord responsibilities regarding repairs and maintenance. Under Chapter 186 of Massachusetts General Laws, a landlord is required to maintain habitable rental premises.

A habitable rental property abides by the state’s minimum health, safety, and building codes. For instance, a property can be condemned if it has any of the following issues.

• Cracks, settling, or shifting of the foundation.
• A leaky roof, or one that has missing shingles.
• Mold that can cause the tenant respiratory issues.
• Severe infestations of pests.
• Lacking essential utilities, such as electricity or water.

With that in mind, Massachusetts landlord-tenant law requires landlords to provide the following amenities to guarantee a tenant’s safety and health.

• A heating system that can heat their home to a minimum of 68 degrees and 64 degrees during the day and night, respectively.
• Hot water that must be within the range of 110-130 degrees. Consistently maintain the plumbing system to ensure a proper supply of hot and cold water.
• Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
• Provide some type of window covering., like a shade, 1” blinds, or curtains.
• Functioning light fixtures.
• Fix clogs and leaks that the renter didn’t cause.
• Replace light bulbs in required fixtures.
• Provide the tenant with a suitable number of garbage receptacles as well as removal services.

You may also want to check local laws for any additional requirements.

2. Ensure Timely Responses to Repair Requests

Maintenance and repairs are usually ongoing activities in rental properties. The tenant may want repairs for leaky faucets, clogged drains, thermostat issues, or even pest infestations. As a landlord, it’s your job to ensure that the tenant lives in a habitable property.

Tenants are responsible for reporting such issues. After they have done so, you must respond quickly. Repairs must be made within 14 days of getting notified.

There are consequences for failing to heed to that timeframe. The tenant may be able to sue for costs, force you to make the repairs through a court order, or make the repairs themselves and make appropriate deductions from rent.

3. Clearly Define Tenant Maintenance Responsibilities

Tenants, too, have certain maintenance responsibilities under the landlord-tenant law. However, you have to inform them of those responsibilities. Otherwise, it may become almost impossible for you to hold them liable for something they know nothing about.

In Massachusetts, tenants maintenance responsibilities include:

• Maintain the unit’s cleanliness standards. This includes regularly cleaning the walls, floors, bathrooms, and appliances.
• Replace burnt-out bulbs.
• Make minor repairs to the plumbing. For example, unclog drains or toilets.
• Use the provided appliances reasonably and for their intended purposes.
• Take off the yard (if any) by mowing it, trimming bushes, and general upkeep of the outdoor areas.
• Regularly check and replace batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Ideally, have these in a clause as part of your lease agreement as well as communicating it verbally to your tenants, to reduce potential misunderstandings. You can hire the expert services of an experienced property manager, like Fall River Property Management, to do it on your behalf.

They have the experience to draw up proper and legally binding contractual lease agreements.

4. Conduct Regular Property Inspections

There are four types of common rental inspections: move-in, seasonal, drive-by, and move-out inspections.

A move-out inspection occurs when a tenant is first moving in. It acts as a point of reference for when the tenant finally moves out. Seasonal inspections are for when different seasons change, as each season brings with it unique maintenance challenges.

With drive-by inspections, they are meant to ensure the tenant is abiding by the terms of the lease agreement. You can do them any time, and don’t have to notify the tenant beforehand.

Excluding a drive-by inspection, always make sure to notify the tenant before any regular property inspection. Preferably, the notice should be at least 48 hours before the scheduled entry.

5. Partner with a Trusted Property Management Company

Maintenance can be an incredibly time-consuming and stressful task, especially if you're new to being a landlord. Without established connections to reliable vendors and contractors, handling repairs and upkeep can quickly become overwhelming.

Hiring a reputable property management company can take these burdens off your shoulders. They’ll manage everything from maintenance and repairs to accounting and tenant relations, ensuring your property is well-maintained and your investment protected.

With their expertise, you can focus on growing your portfolio while they handle the day-to-day responsibilities.

Bottom Line

Maintaining a rental property is crucial for ensuring profitability, tenant satisfaction, legal compliance, and safeguarding your property’s value. However, managing these tasks effectively can be challenging, especially if you lack experience and industry connections.

At Fall River Property Management, we offer comprehensive property management services to handle all aspects of property upkeep and tenant relations. Let us simplify your responsibilities and enhance your investment’s success. Contact us today to discover how we can support your property management needs!