When should a landlord or property management company charge the tenants for repair? What repairs to a rental property are the responsibility of the tenant or what repairs are the responsibility of the landlord or the property management company? These tenants were reckless, and disrespectful and this is how our property management company handled this.
Hi, there! Joe White here from Grow Property Management, your trusted property management company in Philadelphia.
I just got off the phone with my plumber after sending him to address a maintenance request for a dishwasher that wasn't draining. Surprisingly, the culprit was a clogged garbage disposal. Even more surprising? The cause: three walnuts in their shells jammed in there. I had to confirm with the plumber – yes, walnuts in their shells.
Now, typically, clogged pipes are considered a tenant's responsibility, but we usually foot the bill. However, this case feels different. Putting whole walnuts into a garbage disposal seems reckless, if not outright disrespectful. While it might have been an accident, someone has to cover the $150 repair bill.
Not only did the plumber have to unclog the disposal, but he also had to drain and test the dishwasher, all adding to the cost. We'll be billing the tenants for this, hoping it serves as a behavioral lesson for them to take better care of the property.
It's incidents like these that remind me of the challenges of property management. The wear and tear on the garbage disposal is likely considerable, indicating a disregard for someone else's property. I can't fathom putting walnuts – or any hard object, for that matter – into a disposal, whether it's my property or someone else's.
So, as I continue navigating the world of rental property investment, I'll do my best to handle such situations fairly and responsibly. Here's to hoping for smoother maintenance requests in the future.
Happy investing!
