Owning an investment property in the thriving city of Portland is an excellent way to earn income from rentals. Yet, it also comes with some time-consuming responsibilities.
Under Oregon law, landlords must maintain their properties in a safe and habitable condition. If you don't, you could end up owing them money.
Property maintenance isn't the sole responsibility of the landlord, though. Tenants should also keep the home in a reasonable condition for the duration of their lease agreement.
Read on to discover what prevailing property laws say about who's responsible for maintenance in a rental home.
A Landlord's Rental Unit Maintenance Duties
Apart from keeping your home safe and up to code, myriad responsibilities fall on the shoulders of Oregon landlords. You must address any tenant maintenance requests promptly. Routine property inspections will help you identify and manage maintenance issues.
Not only will this foster good tenant relations, but they may have grounds to withhold their rent payments if you don't. State law is vague about exactly which maintenance tasks a landlord should undertake, but it's best if you manage anything to do with:
- Electrical wiring
- Plumbing
- Utilities like gas lines
- Structural issues
- Safety equipment
The best landlords will exceed legal requirements when it comes to keeping their tenants happy by implementing an ongoing routine maintenance program. You must give your tenants at least 24 hours of notice in writing before entering a rental home, except in the case of an emergency.
Every real estate investor wants to maintain the value of their property by keeping it in good condition, but there's a limit to how much you can do. Fortunately, your tenants also have some duties when it comes to taking care of your home.
Tenant's Maintenance Responsibilities
Legally, tenants must take care of minor maintenance and repair tasks. These include things like:
- Maintaining the garden and lawns
- Replacing spent lightbulbs
- Preventing mold and pest infestations
- Removing trash from the property
Landlords can negotiate with their tenants about performing a few additional maintenance tasks, like changing the HVAC filters. They must also take care of any damage they cause to the unit, such as broken windows and stained or damaged flooring.
Tenants must also rectify damage caused by neglect and misuse, intentional acts, illegal activities, or anything that violates your lease agreement, like keeping a pet.
In addition, tenants must inform the landlord about repair or maintenance issues that could escalate into major repairs.
If the tenant doesn't comply with these conditions, you may evict them or recover any related costs from their security deposit after they've moved out.
Property Maintenance Made Easy
Property owners have the largest share of responsibilities by far when it comes to property maintenance. This can become burdensome and often overwhelming for busy rental property investors.
PropM Inc. offers all the property management tools you need to ensure you make the most of your Portland rental properties. We can assist you with property inspections, routine maintenance, and lease origination.
Don't let your landlord's responsibilities consume your free time and energy. We can help you with all your investment property maintenance needs in Portland, OR.
