BiggerPockets

Hello Shaneel... I pay for all repairs. If tenets have a repair they think they need, I go look at it. If its a legit needful repair I take care of it, if its not I don't. Every request a tenet makes does not have to be granted..

One owner of multiple properties we manage had us draft a lease addendum that required the tenants to pay repairs that were under a $100.00

Guess what happened? All the repairs were magically over $100.00.

My point is that if you make a rule for a tenant, then you must really think it through. Tenants are clever getting around the rules. A consideration is quality of work. If a tenant makes a repair will it be safe and high quality repair? Some repairs require a skilled trade trade such as HVAC and electrical. Check your state real estate commission to see if you could include it in the lease.

Remember that just because you put it in the lease agreement does not mean that they will comply.

Good luck.

I prefer to pay professionals to do the job correctly. Tenants cut corners.

One of your responsibilities as a landlord is to provide a safe and functional living environment for your tenants. Part of this involves making repairs when necessary. I agree that tenants are unlikely to make quality repairs, and I don't think most would agree to this type of clause. If they cause damage intentionally or due to negligence, you can deduct the cost from their security deposit at move-out.

Originally posted by Rob K:
One of my friends charges the tenant the first $50 of any repair. We have argued over the years as to whether this is a good idea. I think it's a bad idea because I want stuff fixed right and fixed early.

He recently had a tenant move. Upon move out, it was discovered that the toilet upstairs had a small leak. It did a whole bunch of drywall damage to the floor beneath. The tenant didn't call him because they didn't want to pay $50.

I've found that some of these people are so lazy they have three lightbulbs in the whole house and the smoke detectors are chirping. I don't want them to be in charge of repairs.

I agree with you Rob, why risk thousands of dollars to get $50 from your tenants? Sure, they might be less likely to call you about silly things that they can easily do themselves, but as you pointed out, they will also be less likely to call you when there are real problems that should be addressed. I cannot really imagine any scenario in which you would come out ahead over the long haul by going that route.

I only had one guy that did what he said he could do. He was a flooring guy. He replaced the flooring in his unit perfectly. So I started to use him for other units of mine and have pasted his name along to other investors I know.

I handle all the repairs because I want to make sure it's done right. If it's something that just wore out or wasn't the tenant's fault, then I'll pay for it. If it's something the tenant broke due to their own negligence, they're going to be billed for it.

I've heard of landlords who make the tenant responsible for all repairs under a certain amount ($100-$250), but I've never understood this. I would think it would just result in deferred maintenance and/or repairs not even being done due to the tenant not wanting to pay for them.

Imagine a small water leak from a shutoff underneath the sink. Certainly, this would be well under a hundred dollar repair. Now imagine the tenant not fixing it due to lack of knowledge and/or money. That small/inexpensive leak could turn into a huge problem with water damage. Why risk it?

Plus I wouldn't want the tenant doing the repairs anyway because I don't know if they know what they're doing, and they'll likely try and do it as cheaply as possible and not worry so much about the quality of the work.

In my lease: "Do not paint or repair anything without my permission." I'm even kind of reluctant to let the tenant fix the cooler and close it for winter. (Did he drain the water?)

Since I sometimes had to pay for the water, I told them to immediately report leaks/drips, I fined them $50 once for not telling me the toilet valve was not shutting off. College kids . . . how stupid they were, "didn't you know that sound was water gushing"?

Originally posted by Raquel Baranow:
In my lease: "Do not paint or repair anything without my permission."

I strictly forbid them from any self-repairs or permanent modifications to the property too in my lease. No wall paint, no satellite receivers, no installation of appliances, no storage sheds, no building of structure (some seriously want to build their own pergola), no swimming pools, no hot tubs, no electrical modifications, carpet, etc. They are instructed to tell me promptly of repairs.