How Often Should a Landlord Make Repairs?

How Often Should a Landlord Make Repairs? A major advantage of renting a property is that you don’t have to worry about making and paying for repairs that arise from daily wear and tear. While not every component of your rental home will be replaced during your stay, you can expect your landlord to make basic repairs regularly. Here, we share the common repairs that landlords may make to a rental property, and how often they are expected to complete them.  Carpets Some carpets are made from higher quality materials, and therefore, have a longer expected lifetime than others. Because of the variability in the type of carpet installed in your rental home, how often it will be replaced will also vary. According to Diana Valin, owner, and broker of The Rental Xperts, “rental grade” carpet will typically have a life expectancy of five years. However, top-grade carpets with lifetime warranties against wear and tear may only need to be replaced upon significant damage. If damage to the carpet like a large stain or hole occurs before the recommended replacement period is up, landlords should replace the carpet before the next tenant moves in. In pet-friendly rentals, landlords may be less strict on the replacement rule when it comes to stains; however, carpets should always be cleaned and sanitized before the next tenant. Paint Typically, a property receives a fresh coat of paint in preparation for a new tenant to move in. Paint will cover those nicks, scrapes, and scratches that come with moving in and out of the home, and provides a clean start for the new renters. If a property has fewer move-ins and move-outs, as a general rule the walls should be repainted every three years. Quality paint jobs from professionals may last longer, but tenants expect that small touch-ups will be made throughout their stay. In addition, if a landlord wants tenants to renew their lease, offering a free paint job may be useful as one of the incentives. Extermination No tenant wants to live with unwanted guests, especially creepy crawly creatures and pests. To keep tenants happy and healthy, landlords should conduct routine pest prevention services. In many cases, communities will have contracts with pest control companies to conduct extermination services weekly or monthly. However, some situations will require more specialized extermination services, and quickly. Landlords should be prepared to call pest control technicians at any moment to spare their tenants from unexpected infestations. Leaks Leaks that are ignored have the potential to wreak havoc on any home. Any plumbing problem should be addressed quickly to avoid large-scale damage. The exact time frame for a leak repair varies on the type of leak, however, most repairs should be fixed within one-to-two days. More significant leaks and plumbing problems will require an outside contractor, meaning the repair will take longer to complete (and will cost more). Repair Requests Not all repairs are equal in size and intensity, so the time landlords should fill a repair request can differ. However, it is important to remember the laws that surround maintenance and repairs for rental properties. In the state of South Carolina, when tenants submit a written repair request, landlords will have fourteen days to start the requested repair and finish it in a reasonable period. However, if a landlord wants to stay in good standing with their tenant, he/she should work to restore the property within one-to-two days. In the event of an emergency, like a burst pipe, landlords are expected to act immediately. When a property is vacant, the landlord is also expected to continue regular maintenance to ensure habitable conditions; routine inspections are important in determining maintenance and repair responsibilities as they arise. Contact Us We would love to hear from you! So let’s set up a meeting today. Please fill out the form and you will receive an email from us. If you do not get the email in the next 5 minutes, check your spam/junk folder. We will make sure that someone gets in touch with you as soon as possible.