What To Do If Repairs Need To Be Made At Your Rental Property
One of the most common things that tenants will experience is needing to have repairs made at their rental property. .
Sadly, in some cases it’s no uncommon for some landlords to not respond to their tenants when repairs have to be made and this usually leaves tenants frustrated or confused about what to do next.
Thankfully, there is a process that tenants can follow for determining what to do when repairs need to be made.
Step 1 – Check Your Lease Agreement
In some cases, the repairs that need to be made at your rental property could be your responsibility and the only way to know this for sure is to check your lease agreement.
The lease agreement should set the expectation for who is responsible for the repairs and what the tenant needs to do to inform their landlord about the repairs that need to be made.
Step 2 – When Tenants Should Pay For And Attempt Repairs Themselves
Tenants shouldn’t hesitate to make repairs to the rental property themselves if the damage is minor, and can be repaired easily.
Example: replacing burnt out light bulbs, stained carpet, chewed mini blinds, clogged toilets or smells left over from cigarette smoking.
Major repairs, especially repairs that have caused a habitability issue, should be brought to the owner’s attention immediately because it’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure that the property is a habitable place to live.
Place 3 – What To Do When A Landlord Doesn’t Make Repairs
Sadly, some landlords may refuse to make repairs themselves, in these cases a tenant is within their rights to withhold rent, especially if the property can be repaired for $300 or less (Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 90.368).
If a tenant doesn’t want to withhold rent and make the repair themselves, they are also within their rights to notify their landlord of breach of contract and give their landlord a 30-day notice to terminate if they don’t fix the problem.
Contact Rent Portland Homes – Professionals
At Rent Portland Homes – Professionals, we specialize in neighborhood property management.
For more information about the services that we can offer you, contact us today at (503) 447-7735 or click here.
