While it is your tenant’s responsibility to look after the general well-being of the property while they occupy it, there are always going to be times when you need to visit the property to make repairs and check on things yourself.
The terms of your lease will determine who is responsible for what types of repairs. In most leases, the tenant will be responsible for repairing any damages that they caused while the landlord may be responsible for repairing more general fixtures such as the plumbing or heating.
You as the landlord will be responsible for taking care of common spaces as well. At times, you will need to let your tenants know about upcoming maintenance. Our sample letter from landlord to tenant for repairs can show you how to do this – and we have that sample here today!
A Table of Contents for Notice to Tenants About Repairs
- Clarifying Responsibilities in the Lease
- When to Give Notice to Tenants About Repairs
- Sample Letter from Landlord to Tenant for Repairs
- Other Letters You May Need
- Maintenance Matters
Clarifying Responsibilities in the Lease
There can be some complexity involved in figuring out who is responsible for which type of repairs on your tenant-occupied properties.
The best way to avoid this complexity becoming an issue is to address these responsibilities in the lease. Of course, there are a number of state and local laws which outline what types of responsibilities you and your tenant have, and there is a lot of openness to these laws as well.
Take a look at your local laws. Address what they require in the lease, and then fill in the blanks of that policy so that every situation is clearly covered. This will make maintaining your tenant-occupied properties much easier.
When to Give Notice to Tenants About Repairs
If there is a repair that you are responsible for organizing, you will need to give notice to tenants about repairs if they will be affected by it. This means that any repairs that need to be done at their properties or repairs that will close down common spaces in their buildings should be put on the tenant’s radar as soon as possible.
You are also legally required to give tenants between 24 and 48 hours of notice if you will be coming into their rented space for maintenance or repairs. The specific amount of notice required depends on where your property is located, so check your local codes.
Sample Letter from Landlord to Tenant for Repairs
Figuring out what kind of notice to tenants about repairs you need to have on hand is easier once you can see one in action.
Our notice to tenant to make repairs template can help you do just that:
| Sample Letter from Landlord to Tenant for Repairs |
You can see how this template lets your tenant(s) know about what work will be happening and when so that they can be prepared for any inconvenience that might be caused by the work. There are some aspects of this letter that you may need to adjust for your specific circumstances, so let’s break down each part for your better understanding.
Identifying Information
Start off with the information that identifies exactly which tenants and property the notice is for. You should include the tenant name(s), property address, and date in this section. This ensures that the right notice goes to the right tenant without confusion.
Maintenance Message
The largest part of your maintenance notice to a tenant should let the tenants know the following information:
- When work will be done
- What company will be doing the work
- What action tenants need to take
- Where you can be reached with questions
In the sample linked above, you can infer that the work that is going to be done is on common, outdoor spaces in a residential complex. As such, the work is not going to be done directly in the apartment of the tenant, so there is no need to give them a chance to reschedule it.
Additionally, notice how the letter lets the tenant know what actions they should take to prevent any inconvenience to their living habits. In this case, bringing things in off of any patios is essential. In other cases, you may want to request that they avoid a specific entrance or lobby area where the work will be taking place.
This is the section of the letter that you will want to adjust to be very specific. If the work needing to be done is not in a common area but instead in a tenant’s apartment, you will need to ensure you send the letter with enough time to give them ample warning.
Your Contact Information
The last thing that you should provide in this notice about maintenance is your name and contact information. If the tenant has any concerns or questions, they can contact you with this information.
Other Letters You May Need
This type of letter might not work in every situation. In fact, there are times when your tenant might even want to request labor from you!
It’s good to create templates for other maintenance situations as well so that you can have them on hand whenever you need to use them. Having these available to you will make you a better, more prepared landlord:
- A letter tenants can send to you about requested maintenance
- A letter to tenants to check for any required maintenance
- A letter to tenants about a service call
- A letter from tenants about requested maintenance still not being done
It might seem strange to create a template for tenants to send to you, but giving these forms to your tenant when they move into your property can make your management process much easier. When any issues arise, your tenant can simply reach for the form you gave them, fill it out, and send it to you.
When you receive these forms, everything will be organized in the way that you prefer with the information that you need most.
Maintenance Matters
Having maintenance done on your properties can be inconvenient to both you and your tenant(s), but there are times when it simply has to be done. At those times, using a letter like our sample letter from landlord to tenant for repairs will make the communication quick and clear.
Your job as a landlord is to keep your properties in fit condition and keep your tenants satisfied. Using a letter like this one can do both of those things in one simple document, so don’t discount how important it can be to have this type of file ready to go.