Tenant Troubles: Who Is Responsible for Problems in Your Rental?

The biggest inconvenience that can happen in real estate business, especially when renting an estate, is having a problem with a tenant. When we say a problem, we think of an unpaid bill that your tenant has not paid. All kinds of troubles and issues may arise when renting a place, but who needs to pay for a plumbing or carpet cleaning service? Who needs to pay for heating repairs? Well, we have prepared a few situations so you could know how to act.

Moldy walls and damage inflicted by water

Mold is a common problem in houses and it should be taken seriously as it can produce serious illness or allergies in some cases. Once the tenant spots the mold in its place, he is ought to inform his landlord to solve the problem. The landlord needs to hire a cleaning agency that will perform the cleaning and get rid of it. If, the tenant has not caused the mold presence, the landlord must pay for this problem. Otherwise, if the landlord can prove that the tenant caused the problems, the tenant should be responsible for the payment.

Electrical appliances

The landlord has a duty to secure all the basic electrical appliances for the rental, though the tenant is able to bring with him any of these if needed. The landlord is ought to service, repair and buy new appliances if needed, and he is solely responsible for the repairs and servicing of the appliances that are included in the price and the original listing. The tenant is responsible only for his appliances. However, if it happens that the tenant breaks somehow any of the appliances, he must pay for the repair. Otherwise, you as a landlord, have a right to sue him.


Pests can occur due to many reasons, whether it is negligence or a simple “it happens” case. In any way, no one likes pests and surely does not want any of them in a house. As a landlord, you are legally obliged to perform pest-cleaning tasks to make sure no pests are present in the house that is listed. The bed-bugs inspections are pretty much normal activities that every landlord should do before renting the estate. If the tenant has not provoked in some way these pests, the landlord must pay for the cleaning. As no one wants these in a house, everyone will try to solve things as soon as possible. But do have in mind that you, as a landlord, MUST ensure there are no pests in the estate!

What to report and what not if you are a tenant?

The tenants are required to call the landlord and inform him about every change that took place. A bathroom leakage, a mold problem, or a simple broken piece of wood – all of these must be reported so the landlord could solve these. It is recommended to have renter’s insurance in case you are renting a home so you could protect your items in case of an emergency situation or a disaster. While it can be purchased easily in just a few clicks online, it is more than affordable and all tenants should have this.