To Repair or just Remove?

Question

I own a 4-plex that has a 5 car detached garage that I let each tenant have one garage with their lease. I keep one for myself.

When I bought this 4-plex one garage door had an electric garage door opener. Not sure why the previous owner only installed one but there is only one. The kicker on this garage door it is the one door that gives me access to the well, motor, and pump that services the entire 4-plex with water. I do not have an opener to get into the garage and if I need to get in the tenant either has to leave the door open or I have to go into her living unit and use the opener to open the door. Very inconvenient.

Well the garage door opener bit the bullet and no longer works. I really want to tell the tenant that I am going to remove the opener and not replace it. It was provided to her from the previous owner, I had her sign a new rental agreement that said nothing of the garage door opener.

Is it okay not to replace it?

Jeremy Roberts · Answer

@Dawn Jett

Currently I have to open their front door of the living quarters and they have a garage door opener in there that I can open. For some reason the garage door opener would never program to my vehicles link access to be able to open.

Also before me they cut a hole from one garage into this garage to gain access.

So there are a couple of ways to get in but none of them are great options. That is why not having it would make my life much, much easier.

Thanks!

Dawn Jett · Answer

If the new lease does not state that there is a garage door opener, then I see no reason why you have to replace it. Tenant may complain about it, but it's not a requirement to have. Curious, how will you access the garage now, though? I would think you would have keys to all of the doors for access, especially to the one that has utility access. What happens if there is an emergency, and the tenant is not home?

Dawn