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A Landlord's Guideline for Making Repairs
Do you own one or more residential properties? In that case, you have certain obligations to tenants concerning the repairs that must be made. State and local laws control the exact nature of the rights and responsibilities in each situation, but there are several basic guidelines for landlords to follow.
Duty to repair: Generally, you should make repairs to rental units as soon as possible. This is particularly true with respect to major problems such as plumbing or heating failures. Although the exact law differs from state to state, you generally have to make accommodations to handle major heating problems within 24 hours of being notified about the occurrence, 48 hours where only minor repairs are needed.
Entry to premises: Before you enter rented premises to make any necessary repairs, be sure to provide advance notice to the tenants. Notification of 24 hours ahead of time is the norm. Otherwise, you are generally prohibited from entering the premises unless a dire emergency-say, a fire or a flood-exists.
In some states, landlords are permitted to enter the premises when the tenant leaves for an extended period of time in order to maintain the property and inspect for any damage or needed repairs. However, you cannot simply barge in under the guise of checking up on your rental property.
Minimum requirements: Under most state laws, you must offer and maintain housing by meeting certain habitability requirements such as heat, water, electricity, and sanitary and structurally safe premises. Typically, local housing codes will establish standards for lighting, ventilation and electrical wiring. In recent years, requirements for installing smoke detectors and other security measures have become routine.
As with many legal obligations, using common sense can go a long way toward avoiding potential liability. Best advice: Whenever possible, take care of repairs as soon as you can. To ease your burden, you might decide to delegate repair work to one of your tenants in exchange for a reduction of rent. In any event, make sure that you handle major plumbing or heating problems within 24 hours.
Last, but not least: Remember to keep tenants informed about pending repairs and provide explanations for any delays. [