Water & Plumbing Issues : How Does Your Lease Deal With Them?
I have been getting nickeled and dimed with leaks and clogs. From a prior life in Illinois, I remember we had no problem making all plumbing issues part of the tenant's responsibility in the lease. However, I'm now a Florida (Pinellas County) landlord with a Property Manager in place and they are telling me that under Florida law, the tenant can't be charged for clearing drains unless some negligence is shown or proven...does this sound right?
So, in other words, if a GI Joe is pulled out of the trap by a plumber, tenant pays. But normal or unidentified clogs are on me. The PM says because the hair and who knows what else accumulates over time, that Florida law goes as far to say that it wouldn't be fair to penalize the current user of the property.
I could certainly see this if the lease didn't specify, but they are saying we can't put it in the lease that the tenant be responsible for keeping the plumbing fully operational.
Thanks to any knowledgable Florida landlords out there!