It can be exciting and intimidating to find and move into your first rental home. There is indeed a lot to consider. From making sure you select the ideal home to understanding how to safeguard your home as a renter. Eventually, when you find the perfect place and consider staying long-term, you need to upgrade on a few things. In addition to renting a place to live, you should maintain it to keep it habitable. Eventually, this calls for you to take a few measures and fulfill some responsibilities. Since the importance of proper maintenance cannot be understated, here’s a list of must-do things you can try out!
1. Outline Each Party’s Obligations
The lease agreement should contain information outlining each party’s obligations. To create a positive owner-tenant relationship, landlords must be aware of their obligations and legal rights.
Typically, residents are in charge of performing routine cleanings and small repairs on their apartments. On the other hand, landlords handle significant maintenance responsibilities. Their obligations include garbage collection, repairs to electrical, heating, and plumbing systems, as well as other related issues.
2. Fix all leaks
Every building has some weak spots in its partitions, ceilings, and roof. As a tenant, look for any water leaks near the toilet seats, showers, and windows. Also, check the underwater heaters, boilers, and sinks.
It is crucial to identify water leaks as soon as possible and report them to your landlord. Continuous leaks can ruin the walls, roofing, and even your possessions. Additionally, dangerous molds can form, making home maintenance and repairs very expensive for you.
3. Look into pest control
Renting a property requires you to set aside time for monthly routine and seasonal inspections. Even if there are no signs of a pest infestation, you still need to prevent such problems from occurring. Even when you have routine pest control performed, don’t try to limit it to a specific part of the home because pests will essentially go into another room. The entire property should be subject to eradication.
4. Re-Paint
A fresh coat of paint can be a great way to freshen up the place. In the absence of a fresh home once in a while, the place might get boring. Remember, a long-term tenant may qualify for a standard depreciation period.
In such cases, the owner’s budget will cover the printing costs. Typically, an occupant’s security covers the cost of repainting. check with your landlord for clarity.
5. Conduct regular inspections
Regular inspections will guarantee that you are always aware of the state of your building. These examinations can also improve your home’s lifetime.
Here are a few things you should look for when inspecting a property:
a. Appliances
Ensure that every piece of equipment is working. Consider replacing or fixing them if any break.
b. Overall condition
Examine the shape of the handrails, stairs, lifts, doors, windows, flooring, and furnishings in detail (if any).
c. Sanitation
Check for leaks, mold, blocked drains, vermin, and broken plumbing. These are a few essential things to check for a functional house.
d. Legalities
Make certain that there is sufficient access to exits, operational electricity and water sources, and operational smoke detectors and sirens.
e. Maintenance of the HVAC system
It’s important to periodically check your home’s HVAC system (if any). Clean the air ducts, inspect the belts and bearings, change the air filters, and get rid of any standing water.
6. Examine possible property damages
Occasionally, you might choose a rented property whose previous tenants purposefully harmed it. Generally, the occupant who caused the property damage is held responsible.
However, a few deteriorations might not come under observation at first glance. Thus, it is better to discover those before you plan to stay long-term and ask the landlord to fix them.
Note
Landlord’s obligation to maintain and repair
The landlord is responsible for upkeep during the tenancy. Tenant-reported issues must be fixed as part of the landlord’s obligation to maintain and repair the property. The landlord must note any dangers that cannot be fixed right away, and renters should be informed of their existence via written notice or posted signage.
7. Check or switch appliances
Everything has a shelf life. Keep the same in mind while living in a rented house. At some point, it will be necessary to replace the roof, renovate the kitchen, change the appliances, the flooring, and the paint.
To create a budget and save money at the same time, a prudent tenant would evaluate the life expectancy of important machinery and property items that need to be replaced. The landlord should be informed of the same since few renovation tasks are their responsibility. A well-maintained house is worth safeguarding against fire hazards in the long run.
8. Don’t skip the renter’s insurance
Speaking of fire, it is disadvantageous for tenants to skip renter’s insurance. If you decide to stay long-term in a rented place, insurance will save you from hefty renovation charges and loss. Three categories of coverage are typically included in a renters insurance policy to assist and safeguard you. Click here to learn how each coverage function works.
The final takeaway
Keep in mind that fixing a rental home necessitates a unique set of skills, from plumbing to electrical, as well as the ability to identify small problems! In addition, make sure you consistently set aside money for home upkeep. An excellent tenant is constantly ready for inclement weather.
You can protect your home’s condition and cut back on expensive maintenance expenses. Finally, to make your home a safe place for you and your family, don’t forget to get insured.
