If the fence around the property is in excellent condition but was broken by your tenant or their guests, your tenant is normally accountable for fixes. Nevertheless, if the property’s fence is damaged by weather or another outside source or if the fence was neglected or falling down upon move in, the responsibility for repairs typically belongs to the property owner. The best way to determine responsibility for fence repairs is to include specific, clear language in your lease agreements related to property damage.
What is the Current Condition of the Fence?
Despite where your rental property is placed, there are state and local laws that command property landowners to make their rental homes livable and up to code. The focus of these regulations is often on the house itself, which must have sufficient weatherproofing and feature safe and functioning heat, electric, and plumbing systems.
But ensuring a house is fit for compliance with the code would also include the yard and any exterior structures. Because of that, and despite whether they are artistic or crucial to the building, fences are deemed to be part of the property and should be reserved in excellent restoration. A broken-down fence is a safety hazard and creates unwelcome liabilities for a landlord.
What is the State of Wear and Tear?
Fences require constant repair and restoration, like other qualities of a rental home. If the fence around your rental home is looking worn or hasn’t been repaired for a long time, it is the responsibility of the property owner to return the fence to good condition. This is true even if a fence becomes further broken because of tenant abuse.
Broken or collapsed sections of fencing is a serious safety hazard for which the property owner is responsible. This includes damage caused by severe weather or vandalism. These conditions must be protected by a landlord’s insurance policy, which conveys that it is the landlord’s responsibility to construct the required restorations.
Who Caused the Damage?
If the fence near your rental home is in excellent repair but your renter or one of their guests ruins it, the tenant is often accountable for fixes. Such damage must go beyond normal wear and tear, such as hitting the fence with their car or if tenants or guests accidentally break slats or l panel.
Majority of the leases say that in the occurrence a renter incites destruction to the property or grants others to do it, that renter is then accountable to recompense for restorations. If your tenant declines to do so, most landlord/tenant laws allow the landlord to take off the charge from the security deposit.
Guaranteeing that a comprehensive and thorough move-in/move-out checklist is completed for each tenant is one way of detailing the state of a rental home’s fence. This protects property owners from claims of existing repairs, as well as the tenant from accusations of negligence. When you employ Real Property Management New York Gold, you can be assured that such measures have been taken and that every facet of your Flushing rental home is being watched on a constant basis. If you are attracted in learning more contact us online or by phone at 347-905-5770.