Are Renters Responsible For Cleaning Gutters

Just like cutting the grass and trimming hedges part of regular maintenance is cleaning the gutters.

Are renters responsible for cleaning gutters.

As covered above it s usually the landlord s responsibility to maintain a safe and livable rental property but there are some tasks that could fall either to the landlord or the tenant depending on the terms of the lease. Your tenant is responsible for basic household maintenance like replacing light globes vacuuming cleaning windows dusting and removing cobwebs inside and out. Such is the case with most condos and single family homes. If there is no section addressing the cleaning of gutters it will vary from state to state.

Tenants on the other hand are usually responsible for use the commonly used features of the property in a reasonable manner and to also keep them clean. However if you are a landlord who is responsible for paying the utilities for your property whether it be one utility or all you must make sure you do so. How to document responsibilities in a lease. Keeping in repair the structure of a gutter is not the same as cleaning it 1.

If the lease says regular exterior maintenance or landscaping care there is a valid argument that the tenant should be cleaning the gutters. You might also like. The above legislation explains that it is the landlord s duty to keep the gutters in repair. It all comes down to the lease agreement ultimately the only way to clearly determine who is responsible for gutter maintenance and cleaning is to examine the lease agreement signed between tenant and landlord.

Is it the landlord s responsibility to clean the gutters. During a tenancy the landlord owner is responsible for cleaning the gutters she said. Many landlords will add a section stating that tenants are solely responsible for the gutters on the rental property. This gutter cleaning is a maintenance item that the owner is required to undertake as part of their upkeep on a property kaylee recommended a gutter clean every year to avoid any resultant damage occurring to the property.

So one could make an argument that tenants should also keep the gutters clean but my counterargument to that is that no one ever pays attention to the gutters. In most cases a single family home is more likely to be the responsibility of the renter where a multifamily would fall on the landlord s responsibility. Tenants who don t want to be responsible for outdoor maintenance or at least not be responsible for all of it u0014 should make that clear in the lease. Often a tenant is responsible for paying their own utilities.

This should be addressed in the lease. It s the landlord s job. For example a tenant who is willing to mow the lawn and rake leaves but who does not want to trim trees or clean gutters should make sure the lease is clear on the division of responsibility. Repair is then indicated to also include maintenance.