Landlord’s Duty: A Clean And Freshly Painted Apartment

Posted by on June 8, 2007 under Landlord Tips | icon: commentBe the First to Comment

If, a landlord has promised a clean and freshly painted apartment to a tenant before the latter moves in, then it is his / her duty to deliver what has been promised. Or else, he / she is liable to run into problems, if the tenant reports the unhealthy living conditions to the health department. In case, the unpainted and unclean conditions are genuine health risks, and the deteriorating lead-based paint a health hazard, the health department, depending on its workload and the severity of the problems, will take action.

Many states have enacted remedies to counter the seriously harmful conditions tenants have to face due to unscrupulous landlords. Tenants are legally entitled to carry out repairs and deduct the cost from the rent. As well, they are entitled to withhold rent until the landlord carries out the cleaning and repairs.

So, to avoid a whole pile of headaches, it is better for a landlord to clean and paint the apartment, repair anything else that requires it, before a tenant moves in. As for the tenant, he / she should get any promises made by a landlord in writing, or better still avoid renting a dirty place. A landlord who advertises and shows a unit that is unpainted and dirty, obviously has no pride in his / her property and more than likely will not maintain it properly during your tenancy.

That apart, landlords should make themselves cognisant with all rules and regulations before drafting tenancy leases or rental agreements. They must also take all necessary precautions, such as, tenant screenings, background checks on prospective tenants, including making certain all rental lease clauses are adhered to, as insurance for a litigation free landlord / tenant relationship. A simple click of the mouse and any landlord or property manager can visit www.e-renter.com for their tenant screening and background check services. www.e-renter.com, the best tenant screening agency in America!