A landlord needs to do more than approve leases and collect rent once per month. Landlords are responsible for maintaining the rented premises and ensuring a reasonable level of safety for renters and their visitors. But what does this entail? Read on to learn about Kentucky landlords’ preventive maintenance responsibilities.
The best way to ensure safety and keep a rental property as valuable as possible is to perform annual maintenance. Annual maintenance should be done on a seasonal basis to help keep important systems working to support the families renting units in your buildings.
You can make an annual maintenance schedule that takes into account the four seasons and what often gets used during those seasons. For example, air conditioning units should undergo maintenance and repairs as needed each spring. The heating systems should be looked at each fall before the Kentucky weather turns cold for the winter months.
Other systems also should be inspected and maintained annually on a seasonal basis. Spreading out the inspections across the four seasons helps to ensure the annual maintenance is not rushed and gets done properly.
Essential Services Are Very Important
You must provide your tenants with essential services that help to keep them in good health and comfortable throughout the year. Kentucky landlords’ preventive maintenance should include hot and cold running water.
You should inspect your hot and cold water pipes and service the hot water heaters on your property. Hiring a qualified technician will ensure each water heater is drained, maintained, and repaired if necessary. Wrapping the hot water pipes also can help to reduce the cost of heating the water and make it hotter in the rental units.
You also should inspect the roofs and clean out the gutters every fall. Roofs might become soft due to heavy rain during the spring and summer. Leaves drop in the fall and collect in gutters. You can take care of the roof inspection and clear the gutters at the same time.
If roof repairs are needed, you can schedule them for the spring. If any are especially pressing, you might get them fixed before the weather gets too cold during the winter months.
Contractual Services
Some services are laid out in the lease agreements and require you to get them done. Whether you’re going to hire a property manager or perform the work yourself, the following are generally required by law:
- Snow and ice removal
- Pest control
- Maintaining walkways and parking areas
While snow and ice removal is done on an as-needed basis, you can schedule inspections, maintenance, and repairs during the spring. That will help to account for any wintertime damage done by freeze and thaw cycles that commonly occur in Kentucky.
Pest control generally is a good idea in mid to late spring when the outdoor temperature starts to rise and supports and triggers cockroaches, ants, and other pests to become more active. If you have a pool area, cleaning it and making it ready for summertime use will help to make it safe and sanitary for your residents and their guests.
EZLandforms provides Kentucky landlords and rental agents with rental contracts that already are prefilled and details commonly provided maintenance services. The Kentucky Lease Agreement with ezSign clearly lay out the contractual obligations of the landlord and tenant and meets all state requirements.
Our preconceived rental agreements are legally binding and have no loopholes that could be used against the landlord or tenant. They also help with creating annual maintenance and repair schedules for landlords.
Safety Concerns and Enhancements
Multifamily rental housing has common areas that require maintenance to be reasonably safe for use. Walkways, entrances, and parking areas are among the most dangerous locations for residents and visitors alike.
You need to ensure your common areas are in good condition and safe for use around the clock. Lighting is an important element in protecting against accidents and criminal activity alike. Lighting also helps enhance the features of rental housing properties and makes them
If your rental property includes a laundry facility, you should ensure the machines are in good condition, the locks and doors work, and your residents can do their laundry in relative safety. You should not enable outsiders to wander into laundry facilities or other common areas, like a gym.
Checking doors, ensuring washing and gym equipment is in good shape, and sanitizing the facilities will help to prevent potential outbreaks during a pandemic or the traditional cold and flu season.
Commons areas and their safety features should undergo quarterly inspections and maintenance to help keep them in good shape. Monthly walkthroughs will help to spot anything that might need to be repaired or cleaned up to ensure the safety of your residents.
Fix-It or Lose It
Some items require your full attention to correct any problems or buildings in a state of disrepair. If you have one or more units with leaking roofs, bad plumbing, or other problems, a local unit of government might condemn the entire structure if you fail to address the matter.
Kentucky landlords’ preventive maintenance and repairs are required to keep anything made by man in good condition. Otherwise, weathering, erosion, and the natural tendency of things to go from an ordered to a disordered state will affect your rental property.
You must fix it or lose it if you ignore problems for too long. Annual inspections and some that are more frequent will help to prevent you from losing your rental property.
