Question for Landlords

[Anonymous]

Op, landlords post outrageous things on here.

[Anonymous]

http://ota.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/ota/publication/attachments/Tenant_Survival_Guide.pdf

Read above

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your contract states that tenants are responsible for minor repair and maintenance what does this mean to you? Assuming the issues were not present at time of rental but developed over the course of the contract? For example showerhead replacement, HVAC filters, toilet paper holders falling out of wall, kitchen cabinet doors coming loose, slow flowing faucets? As a renter I'm not sure what I should report to landlord and what I should take care of myself. I have a good relationship with landlord and he is pretty good at getting things fixed.

Btw this is not Europe. Landlords in the United States typically do repairs and maintenance and you should not sign a lease that states otherwise. The clause is probably not enforceable, and it certainly is not enforceable in DC.

OP again, would landlords deduct this from my security deposit if I moved out and theses things were broken?

I would. Wear and tear is scuff marks on the walls, not fixtures ripped out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your contract states that tenants are responsible for minor repair and maintenance what does this mean to you? Assuming the issues were not present at time of rental but developed over the course of the contract? For example showerhead replacement, HVAC filters, toilet paper holders falling out of wall, kitchen cabinet doors coming loose, slow flowing faucets? As a renter I'm not sure what I should report to landlord and what I should take care of myself. I have a good relationship with landlord and he is pretty good at getting things fixed.

Btw this is not Europe. Landlords in the United States typically do repairs and maintenance and you should not sign a lease that states otherwise. The clause is probably not enforceable, and it certainly is not enforceable in DC.

OP again, would landlords deduct this from my security deposit if I moved out and theses things were broken?

I would. Wear and tear is scuff marks on the walls, not fixtures ripped out.

Right, but if the thing was loose when OP moved in, then it was going to fall out at some point over the next two years, no matter who lived there. That is definitely something the landlord should fix and I would be certain to remind him that it was not in good working order when you moved in. Loose is not good working order. If the kitchen cabinet doors are loose, can you just tighten the screws and bolts yourself? Try that before calling landlord.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your contract states that tenants are responsible for minor repair and maintenance what does this mean to you? Assuming the issues were not present at time of rental but developed over the course of the contract? For example showerhead replacement, HVAC filters, toilet paper holders falling out of wall, kitchen cabinet doors coming loose, slow flowing faucets? As a renter I'm not sure what I should report to landlord and what I should take care of myself. I have a good relationship with landlord and he is pretty good at getting things fixed.

Btw this is not Europe. Landlords in the United States typically do repairs and maintenance and you should not sign a lease that states otherwise. The clause is probably not enforceable, and it certainly is not enforceable in DC.

OP again, would landlords deduct this from my security deposit if I moved out and theses things were broken?

I would. Wear and tear is scuff marks on the walls, not fixtures ripped out.

Right, but if the thing was loose when OP moved in, then it was going to fall out at some point over the next two years, no matter who lived there. That is definitely something the landlord should fix and I would be certain to remind him that it was not in good working order when you moved in. Loose is not good working order. If the kitchen cabinet doors are loose, can you just tighten the screws and bolts yourself? Try that before calling landlord.

Well you need to write these down on the walk through. There is no way of knowing whether it was damaged or not and if it isn't written down it is assumed to be in working order.

[Anonymous]

Then she should have reported it two years ago, when it would have been a less expensive fix. Would you say the same if she failed to report a leak until the ceiling caved in?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These answers are absolutely ridiculous and clearly posted by landlords.

The tenant is responsible for changing the air filters under most places.

The rest are normal wear and tear or repairs that the landlord should pay for.

Why in the world should a tenant have to replace the shower head? That is absurd.

Unless, of course, it says otherwise IN THE LEASE.

OP, I have that the tenant is responsible for miscellaneous repairs under $100. Batteries in fire alarms, light bulbs, toilet is stopped up because Junior uses too much TP, the toilet runs, a blind is broken (because they broke it).... I don't want them calling me out to the house for small crap.

If they break anything big I am still going to hold them responsible - that's what a security deposit is for.

When the motor in the fridge stopped working? I paid the repairman and even paid the tenant for the 7 pounds of chicken breasts she lost.

Normal wear and tear is faded paint, a few nail holes, scuff marks on walls and minor scratches on floors (not gouges), dirty finger print marks on walls and blinds. Anything beyond that is damage. See here. http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108376

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These answers are absolutely ridiculous and clearly posted by landlords.

The tenant is responsible for changing the air filters under most places.

The rest are normal wear and tear or repairs that the landlord should pay for.

Why in the world should a tenant have to replace the shower head? That is absurd.

Unless, of course, it says otherwise IN THE LEASE.

OP, I have that the tenant is responsible for miscellaneous repairs under $100. Batteries in fire alarms, light bulbs, toilet is stopped up because Junior uses too much TP, the toilet runs, a blind is broken (because they broke it).... I don't want them calling me out to the house for small crap.

If they break anything big I am still going to hold them responsible - that's what a security deposit is for.

When the motor in the fridge stopped working? I paid the repairman and even paid the tenant for the 7 pounds of chicken breasts she lost.

Normal wear and tear is faded paint, a few nail holes, scuff marks on walls and minor scratches on floors (not gouges), dirty finger print marks on walls and blinds. Anything beyond that is damage. See here. http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108376

So something that was shaky when OP moved in is now her fault to repair because her inspection wasn't detailed enough to note that every single toilet paper holder was perfectly secure? Give me a break. There are too many ridiculous landlords on here. OP, hopefully you live in DC where you are protected from the ridiculousness as a renter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your contract states that tenants are responsible for minor repair and maintenance what does this mean to you? Assuming the issues were not present at time of rental but developed over the course of the contract? For example showerhead replacement, HVAC filters, toilet paper holders falling out of wall, kitchen cabinet doors coming loose, slow flowing faucets? As a renter I'm not sure what I should report to landlord and what I should take care of myself. I have a good relationship with landlord and he is pretty good at getting things fixed.

Btw this is not Europe. Landlords in the United States typically do repairs and maintenance and you should not sign a lease that states otherwise. The clause is probably not enforceable, and it certainly is not enforceable in DC.

OP again, would landlords deduct this from my security deposit if I moved out and theses things were broken?

Possibly. It is much better to contact them and say, By the way, there are some normal wear and tear issues with the apartment I thought you might want to know about. I thought I'd let you know the one that was loose when I moved in has now come out of the wall. My plan is to use a separate toilet paper holder, etc.

If there are several of these types of issues they might have a handyman come by and take care of it. Your landlord might ask you to oversee this or suggest another arrangement.

We ask our tenants for seasonal updates: are there any issues with the apartment, do you hear water or other sounds you are not used to hearing, etc. We caught a major flood and nipped it in the bud this way. Please let your landlord know and just open the dialogue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These answers are absolutely ridiculous and clearly posted by landlords.

The tenant is responsible for changing the air filters under most places.

The rest are normal wear and tear or repairs that the landlord should pay for.

Why in the world should a tenant have to replace the shower head? That is absurd.

Unless, of course, it says otherwise IN THE LEASE.

OP, I have that the tenant is responsible for miscellaneous repairs under $100. Batteries in fire alarms, light bulbs, toilet is stopped up because Junior uses too much TP, the toilet runs, a blind is broken (because they broke it).... I don't want them calling me out to the house for small crap.

If they break anything big I am still going to hold them responsible - that's what a security deposit is for.

When the motor in the fridge stopped working? I paid the repairman and even paid the tenant for the 7 pounds of chicken breasts she lost.

Normal wear and tear is faded paint, a few nail holes, scuff marks on walls and minor scratches on floors (not gouges), dirty finger print marks on walls and blinds. Anything beyond that is damage. See here. http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108376

That's a BS lease term, illegal many places. If a tenant breaks something they should repair. If it worked when they moved in and it breaks from normal wear and tear it's the LL's responsibility. Now did I call my LL for every stupid thing? Of course not.

[Anonymous]

Are there seriously renters who would call their landlord for a clogged toilet, new batteries in the smoke detectors, etc.? Geez, I never want to be a landlord. I was a renter for years and never bothered my landlord unless it wasn't something I couldn't fix myself at a minimal cost. I.e. the toilet kept running and not flushing correctly. I fixed it myself. The pipes backed up and the disposal was backing up into the bathtub. I called my landlord.

People who are saying that a landlord who expect the tenant to fix things they break, fix easy things (like a clogged toilet), or fix minimal issues (like lightbulbs and batteries) just sound like they must be a total pain in the ass for landlords.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These answers are absolutely ridiculous and clearly posted by landlords.

The tenant is responsible for changing the air filters under most places.

The rest are normal wear and tear or repairs that the landlord should pay for.

Why in the world should a tenant have to replace the shower head? That is absurd.

Unless, of course, it says otherwise IN THE LEASE.

OP, I have that the tenant is responsible for miscellaneous repairs under $100. Batteries in fire alarms, light bulbs, toilet is stopped up because Junior uses too much TP, the toilet runs, a blind is broken (because they broke it).... I don't want them calling me out to the house for small crap.

If they break anything big I am still going to hold them responsible - that's what a security deposit is for.

When the motor in the fridge stopped working? I paid the repairman and even paid the tenant for the 7 pounds of chicken breasts she lost.

Normal wear and tear is faded paint, a few nail holes, scuff marks on walls and minor scratches on floors (not gouges), dirty finger print marks on walls and blinds. Anything beyond that is damage. See here. http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108376

So something that was shaky when OP moved in is now her fault to repair because her inspection wasn't detailed enough to note that every single toilet paper holder was perfectly secure? Give me a break. There are too many ridiculous landlords on here. OP, hopefully you live in DC where you are protected from the ridiculousness as a renter.

No, it's her job to repair because she lived with it for 2 years, watching the situation get worse until the fixture fell out of the wall. She could have called on day 2 to say "I noticed this issue, and I'm worried it could get worse." in that case, it would have been the landlord's problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These answers are absolutely ridiculous and clearly posted by landlords.

The tenant is responsible for changing the air filters under most places.

The rest are normal wear and tear or repairs that the landlord should pay for.

Why in the world should a tenant have to replace the shower head? That is absurd.

Unless, of course, it says otherwise IN THE LEASE.

OP, I have that the tenant is responsible for miscellaneous repairs under $100. Batteries in fire alarms, light bulbs, toilet is stopped up because Junior uses too much TP, the toilet runs, a blind is broken (because they broke it).... I don't want them calling me out to the house for small crap.

If they break anything big I am still going to hold them responsible - that's what a security deposit is for.

When the motor in the fridge stopped working? I paid the repairman and even paid the tenant for the 7 pounds of chicken breasts she lost.

Normal wear and tear is faded paint, a few nail holes, scuff marks on walls and minor scratches on floors (not gouges), dirty finger print marks on walls and blinds. Anything beyond that is damage. See here. http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13108376

That's a BS lease term, illegal many places. If a tenant breaks something they should repair. If it worked when they moved in and it breaks from normal wear and tear it's the LL's responsibility. Now did I call my LL for every stupid thing? Of course not.

+1 I rent and my landlord tried to enforce a bogus "$100 repair deductible" clause (which I objected to while signing but he refused to remove the clause) when he had to pay a couple thousand dollars to have the main sewer line dug up and replaced from years of neglect. I promptly responded that I was not paying him anything in addition to my rent and told him that if he wanted, he could take it up with VA small claims court and that I'd be happy to provide the court with additional information re: lack of move-in inspection report and several items in the house that are not up to code (he renovated himself). He dropped the issue and stopped asking for the $100.

[Anonymous]

We rent and the toilet paper holders in TWO bathrooms broke/fell from wall within a month if our moving in. The towel holder in one bath also broke. None of this was our fault, so why should we pay? Cabinet doors are also coming loose, and I try to tighten them but it doesn't work. I'm not paying for fixing the cabinets. The rent I pay means that the landlord should provide all these things in good working order for the duration of my lease, absent any abuse or misuse by me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We rent and the toilet paper holders in TWO bathrooms broke/fell from wall within a month if our moving in. The towel holder in one bath also broke. None of this was our fault, so why should we pay? Cabinet doors are also coming loose, and I try to tighten them but it doesn't work. I'm not paying for fixing the cabinets. The rent I pay means that the landlord should provide all these things in good working order for the duration of my lease, absent any abuse or misuse by me.

So they were fine when you moved in, and they fell out a month later.

Hmmmm....wonder why?