Do you clear snow at your rentals?

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Do you clear snow at your rentals?

Paul Sandhu
Investor · The worst town to live in, KS · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes

Many years ago I had a bunch of little old ladies with their 2 wheel drive sedans at a 14 unit apartment complex.  Whenever there was snow, I would clear the parking lot with a tractor.  Now, all the little old ladies are gone.  I drove through the parking lot today and just had a realization.  Every person that is in there now drives a 4 wheel drive truck.  Either their own or a company truck.  So no more clearing snow for me.

So what do you do with snow at your properties?

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
5y
Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:
Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

Multi-family properties are hired out. Single-family properties are handled by the Tenant.

what happens when the tenant has a heart attack shoveling the snow ??  

What if they have a heart attack mopping the floor or raking the lawn? No difference.

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  • Brie SchmidtBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Chicago, IL · Member since 2013 · 6k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    5y

    Depends on what your lease says.  For a 14 unit building I would imagine it is the landlord's responsibility

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  • John UnderwoodPro Member
    Investor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
    5y

    What is snow?

    6Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y

    Multi-family properties are hired out. Single-family properties are handled by the Tenant.

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    4Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

    Multi-family properties are hired out. Single-family properties are handled by the Tenant.

    what happens when the tenant has a heart attack shoveling the snow ?? 

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  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

    Multi-family properties are hired out. Single-family properties are handled by the Tenant.

    what happens when the tenant has a heart attack shoveling the snow ??  

    What if they have a heart attack mopping the floor or raking the lawn? No difference.

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  • Paul Sandhu
    OP
    Investor · The worst town to live in, KS · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    5y

    One of my tenants had a heart attack eating a hamburger just last Thanksgiving week.

    0Reply
  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:
    Originally posted by @Jay Hinrichs:
    Originally posted by @Nathan Gesner:

    Multi-family properties are hired out. Single-family properties are handled by the Tenant.

    what happens when the tenant has a heart attack shoveling the snow ??  

    What if they have a heart attack mopping the floor or raking the lawn? No difference.

    I guess I think as much as anything I was just being factious .. All though in reality I would think a little blurb in the lease that

    your not liable if they hurt themselves cant hurt..  we got sued one time for a flip fall because someone fell on the city side walk in front of our row house in Philly.  did not really go anywhere but you know the ambulance chasers out there..

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  • Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
    Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
    5y
    Originally posted by @Paul Sandhu:

    One of my tenants had a heart attack eating a hamburger just last Thanksgiving week.

    Wow this thanksgiving was dangerous one of my borrowers also had a heart attack at 37 on Thanksgiving and perished..

    leaving me with 6 of his projects  :(  Sad reality 

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  • Danielle Gray
    Realtor · Laurel, MD · Member since 2017 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    5y

    Depends on what's in your agreement. Honestly it makes you look better as a landlord and shows you care by simply hiring out someone to clear the snow. Not certain of the laws in Kansas, but doing so may also keep you from getting a citation. I know postal and delivery worker who won't deliver if the walkway is not safe. And it keeps people, not just your tenets, from trying to sue you because the walkway wasn't cleared. It really is just less of a headache doing it. 

    0Reply
  • Michael BaumPro Member
    Olympia, WA · Member since 2016 · 8k+ posts · 7k+ votes
    5y

    Short answer is NOPE. North Idaho gets snow. Guests know that. It has been way below freezing for a few weeks so I am curious to see how big the ice floe is. :)

    0Reply
  • Cody Smith
    Real Estate Broker · MO · Member since 2020 · 9 posts · 2 votes
    5y

    The leases on our duplexes state that it is the tenant's responsibility to clear snow. When we first got started & I lived in one of the units I would often shovel snow for the neighboring unit to be nice as a neighbor but not as the owner. I would think that it would be more difficult to assign those duties to tenant's as the # of units grows per building since there inevitably is more common space in an apartment building than our duplexes...which have their own separate driveway for each unit, no shared sidewalks, etc. I'm in Central Missouri so we have snow but it's usually not colossal amounts & typically doesn't stay for weeks at a time.

    0Reply
  • Lauren Kormylo
    Rental Property Investor · Phoenix, AZ and Rehoboth Beach DE · Member since 2019 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    5y

    @Jay Hinrichs  I didn't realize the city sidewalk area was owned by the corresponding homeowner until my sister, who owns a Victorian townhouse in Wilmington DE, was required by the city to have the bumpy sidewalk rebuilt.  Tree roots had grown up and made the sidewalk dangerous.  She had to pay to have the roots removed and the brick relaid.  She just assumed the city owned and was responsible for the sidewalk , but no - she owned out to the curb and it was her responsibility.  

    0Reply
  • Adam Reeves
    Rental Property Investor · NH · Member since 2019 · 27 posts · 13 votes
    5y

    @Paul Sandhu

    Snow is a big liability here in NH. I own and operate a landscape/snow removal company so I see it from both ends. A lot of my customers use my company to pass on any liability from slip and fall incidents. And at my own buildings we plow shovel ice melt and treat all paved surfaces. I also leave ice melt buckets out for all tenants to use at their discretion. Even though I do all these things as the owner, I make sure to outline in my lease that it is the tenants responsibility to create a safe path from their unit to their vehicle. We also have strict parking guidelines during all snow events to ensure we properly take care of the parking areas.

    0Reply
  • Tom HarkinsPro Member
    Rental Property Investor · DC Area · Member since 2019 · 100 posts · 54 votes
    5y

    @Paul Sandhu My rental is a SFH and per the lease, the tenants clear all ice and snow

    0Reply
  • Chinyere Orie
    Real Estate Agent · Baltimore Maryland · Member since 2019 · 98 posts · 74 votes
    5y

    Yeah for a multifamily.  Otherwise, you're exposing yourself to a tremendous amount of liability.  Also, I would imagine there's a clause in the lease regarding outdoor maintenance such as landscaping and snow removal.

    0Reply
  • Paul Sandhu
    OP
    Investor · The worst town to live in, KS · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    5y

    Why do half the posts in this thread mention a lease?  I've had 1800 tenants in the last 8 years with no lease.  This is a short term rental forum.  None of my tenants know how long their job will last.  I just charge by the week to traveling workers.

    0Reply
  • Jaquetta T Ragland
    Real Estate Agent · Winston Salem, NC · Member since 2014 · 486 posts · 303 votes
    5y

    @Paul Sandhu yeah it sounds like it’ll be the landlord’s responsibility when it’s a multi family property. Otherwise, it seems like it could like lead to a lawsuit if one of the tenants get hurt. When it’s a single family home, I make it the tenants responsibility.

    0Reply
  • Alexander Szikla
    Real Estate Agent · New York City · Member since 2020 · 818 posts · 639 votes
    5y

    On a 14 unit building you have enough margin to hire snow removal plus you have a friggin tractor to just knock it out yourself!!!!

    Seems like a no brainer, why take on unnecessary liability. 

    0Reply
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