Enjoying a profit from your rental property is about more than just owning the right piece of real estate. Knowing your landlord responsibilities ensures that you follow the law, have happy tenants, and maintain real estate value. The responsibilities that we list here will ensure that you don’t unknowingly violate your landlord responsibilities, and your rental property ends up costing you money.
Maintain the Property
Regular maintenance is one of your primary landlord responsibilities to maintain your rental property. This will help it retain value and provide long term income. But you also need to maintain the property so that you comply with the law, and your property is inhabitable.
Habitability
The law requires that your primary landlord’s responsibility is to keep your rental property habitable. This means that the structure is safe, decent, and sanitary. If something happens to the property where habitability comes into question, then you need to make necessary repairs in a timely manner.
Make sure you fulfill your landlord responsibilities in these areas:
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Running and hot water
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Pest Problems
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Functioning locks on windows and doors
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Working smoke detectors
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Mold Issues
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Another issue posing a risk to health and safety
Tenant Rent Withholding
If a tenant contacts you about repairs, you need to address them in a timely manner. Depending on the issue, the law may require you to fix the issue within days of notice. Otherwise, you risk the tenant withholding rent or taking you to court.
Prompt Return of Security Deposits
State law dictates that it is the landlord’s responsibility to return a tenant’s security deposit. In Texas, a landlord has 30 days after the tenant moves out to return a security deposit. You have the right to deduct for the repair of damages.
You aren’t allowed to deduct for normal wear and tear of the property. If you fail to return a security deposit that should have been returned, you may be required to pay the tenant’s legal fees from their attempt to get their deposit plus up to three times the value of the withheld deposit.
Open Communication
Many states require written notice 24 to 48 hours from the landlord to the tenant before entering the property. While Texas doesn’t have any such requirement, most landlords include this in their lease out of common courtesy. If you do include this in your lease, then you’ll need to follow it, or you’ll be in violation of your own lease.
You should also give your tenant your contact information. This way, the tenant has a way of alerting you if there’s a required repair or an emergency.
Follow Eviction Law
A majority of the time, rent collection goes smooth, but then you have a tenant that isn’t paying rent or violated your lease agreement in some other way. Getting them out of your rental property protects your property and enable you to place a tenant who does pay. But as the owner of the property, one of your landlord responsibilities is to do so in a legally compliant and enforceable way.
Texas law requires that you give three days written notice for the tenant to vacate. If you have a month to month lease, you need a one month notice to terminate the lease. The only exception is if you have a written agreement with a shorter time period.
Once this notice is given, you’ll need to follow the court system process to have the tenant removed.
Hire a Property Management Service
When you hire a firm to manage your rental properties, they take over all of these responsibilities. This takes the pressure off of your shoulders. The property management service will ensure that you fulfill your landlord’s responsibilities and follow the letter of the law.
You can leverage their knowledge, experience, and connections to ensure your tenants have a pleasant renting experience.
Contact our team of property managers and have your rental property managed by the best.
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