What Is a Tenant's Responsibility when Renting an Apartment?
Renting may offer reliability, but it also poses various pros and cons. Most people choose to rent because it’s more cost-effective than buying a home or condo. Others enjoy the flexibility that being a renter offers.
Even though you don’t fully own your residence, you have responsibilities as the tenant. Similarly, other responsibilities fall on the landlord or property manager. Keeping track of your duties is vital to avoid finding yourself on the wrong side of the law.
So, you might be asking yourself, “how do I know what my responsibilities are as a tenant?” While your lease should give you guidance on this question, there may be things that aren’t explicitly stated but are entirely part of standard practice for tenants in rentals.
Follow along to learn more about some of your responsibilities as a tenant!
What are my Responsibilities as a Tenant?
Every rental property has housing codes. It is your duty as the tenant to ensure you are aware of the codes and fully understand what is required of you. You must adhere to the housing codes to prevent issues with the landlord or other occupants.
Ensure to keep a clean and sanitary environment. Your environment should remain clean to prevent major issues within the rental complex, like a bug infestation or mold. Taking out the trash plays a major role in this. Theres typically detailed instructions on when and where you should dispose of your trash. Some properties, however, may provide trash services, meaning that responsibility falls on the landlord.
Maintaining appliances is another responsibility. While your landlord will take care of any major appliance overhauling, you need to ensure that you don’t directly cause damage to devices within the rental, like clogging the garbage disposal. This could potentially attract fines or issues with the landlord.
You should also ensure that when you host, your guests do not cause damage to the rental house. Even if your guest causes major damage, like breaking a window, it still falls on you to take care of this.
What are my Landlord/Property Manager's Responsibilities?
Your landlord should provide you with a habitable living. You want a place you can always come back to, feeling like home, and the landlord must ensure that the rental property offers you this aspect. It is illegal to house tenants in a unit that is not safe, for example, a unit overrun with mold or major plumbing issues.
Your landlord must meet all your maintenance needs. This includes significant and critical matters such as electricity, leaks, and anything else that poses a safety issue.
In addition to guaranteeing safety via speedy maintenance, landlords also must complete a thorough screening of other tenants and ensure fully functional locks within the premises.
Final Thoughts
Tenants must work with their landlords to maintain a clean and safe environment. Whenever you notice anything out of the ordinary within the premises, ensure you report to the appropriate authority for action. Your lack of reporting could put you and other occupants at risk.
While you may be able to handle some repairs, the risky ones, such as electrical issues, should be left to the landlord. This also includes plumbing, heating/central air, and much more. Your landlord has access to trusted professionals who handle such matters, so leave that to the pros.
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