Are Renters Responsible For Cleaning Gutters

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.

Are renters responsible for cleaning gutters.

Often a tenant is responsible for paying their own utilities. Just like cutting the grass and trimming hedges part of regular maintenance is cleaning the gutters. 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. 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.

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. Many landlords will add a section stating that tenants are solely responsible for the gutters on the rental property. Is it the landlord s responsibility to clean the gutters. Your tenant is responsible for basic household maintenance like replacing light globes vacuuming cleaning windows dusting and removing cobwebs inside and out.

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. The above legislation explains that it is the landlord s duty to keep the gutters in repair. Such is the case with most condos and single family homes. It s the landlord s job.

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. Repair is then indicated to also include maintenance. 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.

This should be addressed in the lease. If the lease says regular exterior maintenance or landscaping care there is a valid argument that the tenant should be cleaning the gutters. You are responsible for the upkeep of the property for example plumbing and the maintenance of contents already provided such as the stove hot water system or air conditioner. How to document responsibilities in a lease.

You might also like. 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. Keeping in repair the structure of a gutter is not the same as cleaning it 1. If there is no section addressing the cleaning of gutters it will vary from state to state.