What repairs can the tenant sue me

Question

Hey folks,

So i own a property in florida and had a tenant move in recently. Since she moved in she asked me for few repairs and i did those. And then it is more and more. None of these repairs are related to saftey . For eg she says ceiling above the garage has a crack . As a owner i decide if ceiling above my garage should be fixed or not. Then even before she paid me rent for 2nd month she comes to me and says house has all these problems so lower my rent by 800$. I have a feeling she is just trying to force me to lower the rent.

So my question is to what extent landlord is liable to repair.What point can some one go to court.

Theresa Harris · Answer

Tell her if she's not happy with the house, she can move out either April 30 or May 31 and give her a week to make her decision.  Remind her she toured the home before she rented it and nothing has changed since she viewed it.

Terrell Garren · Answer

M2M rental agreements. Best thing I've learned in 13 years.

Nathan Gesner · Answer

I have this clause that I make every tenant initial:MOVE-IN CONDITION. Tenant acknowledges the rental was represented through marketing materials designed to attract  applicants for in-person inspections. Tenant was given the opportunity to inspect the rental prior to signing this Agreement. Tenant  elects to accept the property in its current condition and/or they are waiving their opportunity to inspect, at their own choosing and for  their own convenience. Landlord shall not be obligated to clean, decorate, alter, repair, or otherwise improve the rental, either before  or after the execution of this lease, unless agreed to in writing as part of this Agreement. When a Tenant comes back to me and tells me there's a crack in the ceiling, or they don't like the stain in the bedroom carpet, I point them to this lease and leave it at that.

Your obligation as a Landlord is to ensure everything is safe and functional. You are not obligated to make things pretty, install shelves so the Tenant has more storage space, buy them a ladder so they can reach the top kitchen cabinets, etc.

This Tenant is playing you like a fiddle. I recommend you give her a statement similar to mine and shut her down. Tell her that if she's not happy with the rental, she can give 30 days notice to vacate and you can find someone that won't be a pain in your neck for the next 12 months.

Orkeem Davis · Answer

You can respectfully encourage the tenant to find more suitable accommodations, but I will take it a step further and let her know that this is an Open Offer to move out as long as you receive 30-days-notice.  The last thing you need is a 24/7 complaining tenant.  Repairs have to be made, but ongoing looking for discounts and constantly complaining is not okay unless your place is a real dump.  Some tenants seem like they have a sense of entitlement once they pay rent.  Once the tenants move-in, unless noted prior, anything under $100 is the tenant's responsibility as per my lease agreements. Good luck.

Bill B. · Answer

You may want to consider a PM that does it for a living instead of a realtor that does it as a side gig. If he/she is truly “your realtor” they should offer to get you a replacement or you should switch to a PM. You;be already spent more time money and energy on this than you should have.

Himateja Madala · Answer

Folks, If the tenant decides to move out within one month of move in can the landlord charge a penalty fee. Reason i as is because i paid my realtor one month's rent to place the tenant and i have to pay him again and its a charade

Kristine Ximeno · Answer

Does your lease mention anything on repairs? Any statement on the initial move-in check.  You can list specifically that you will do an initial check and ask her to sign.  Anything after 3 days, she is responsible for repairs.  If she disagrees, she can decide to move out or not.

Ray Hage · Answer

Hi, that is exactly what she is trying to do? I am dealing with this myself right now for a property that I manage. Some tenants will do and complain about anything to get a discount. If it is not safety-related (or something absolutely important like say the AC not working), then just let her know you will not be fixing it or discounting. If she is going to take you to court over aesthetics, it will be a tough case haha.

I assume you have a walk-through from when she first moved in? It may be worth doing another walk through to see the current condition of the place and go from there. I agree with @Terrell Garren about the M2M. For the properties that I own, all are M2M except for one which I had to do a year lease since it is in a HOA.

What repairs can the tenant sue me

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