A Go-to Guide for Rental Property Maintenance

Living in a rental property often presents a number of maintenance and decor-related challenges to the renter. There are rules, policies and Dos & Don’ts that need to be adhered by the renter while the homeowner has his or her specific upkeep responsibilities. Maintenance within a rental home is necessary for both landlords and tenants. Although landlords have many responsibilities within their rental properties, tenants must keep up with regular maintenance procedures to maintain a safe living space. With that, it’s imperative to outline landlord and tenant responsibilities clearly from the start. Failure to state maintenance procedures for tenants in the lease may lead to disputes and frustration. To avoid these situations, landlords should list all responsibilities for tenants within the lease. Similarly, they should communicate with the tenant and ensure a proper understanding. 

Tenant rental property maintenance

Here are some great tips for renters to maintain the property:

• Maintaining the exterior of the home
• Ensuring the structural integrity of the property
• Preventing and treating mold problems
• Promptly addressing safety hazards
• Maintaining a sanitary environment
• Maintaining the property by cleaning fittings, keeping walls and floors clean, emptying the trash, and preventing mold growth
• Avoiding damage beyond normal wear and tear, such as keeping unauthorized pets, tampering with gas detectors or landscape watering systems, sub-renting to roommates, and using your property for unauthorized or illegal purposes
• Reporting issues as they arise to avoid large and expensive damages, such as mold growth or faulty plumbing or electrical hindrances. 

Although it depends on the lease agreement, landlords and tenants are responsible for different tasks. For example, tenants should take care of daily tasks, like maintaining a sanitary environment. On the other hand, landlords should take care of large property maintenance tasks, like ensuring the water, plumbing, heat, and electricity are all working. That said, let’s go over some of the maintenance procedures that tenants should follow while living in a rental property. 

As most people already know, keeping a sanitary environment is one of the most important maintenance steps you can take in a rental home. Avoiding unsanitary conditions by keeping a clean house is one task that all occupants are responsible for. Since tenants live on the property each day, it’s crucial to maintain a clean environment to minimize damage to the rental unit and avoid health complications for occupants. 

With that, tenants should avoid any safety issues for themselves and the property. Some of the most common safety concerns within a rental home include:

• Emergency exits blocked with personal belongings
• Personal items kept too close to critical equipment such as the water heater or breaker box
• Gas detectors are tampered with

These scenarios can cause unnecessary safety concerns for tenants and their guests. That said, tenants must be aware of safety concerns around the property

Maintain Common Areas

For multi-family buildings, landlords are responsible for maintaining all common areas. Common areas may include parking lots, front or back yards, sidewalks, and more. Here are some of the tasks that landlords should keep up with to maintain common areas:

• Maintain landscaping around the property
• Maintain parking lot and pathways etiquettes 
• Install stable railings for all staircases
• Ensure there are no safety or tripping hazards
• Keep handicapped facilities
• Ensure working lighting in common areas

Managing a rental property takes a lot of time and hard work. In fact, for landlords that own more than one rental property, it can seem like a full-time job. However, hiring a full-service rental property management company is one of the best ways to keep up with maintenance within your rental properties. Professionals in this field assist property owners by taking on daily tasks and operations such as maintenance and repairs. bti Property Management has professionals who excel in all property management areas. We offer full-service in Dhaka and Chattogram. If you are a property owner looking for help managing your rentals, contact us today to learn more about our full-service management managers.