Maintenance: Who's Responsible for What?

What's in this episode

Send us Fan Mail You probably know that if your roof leaks, that's on you. But do you actually know who pays when a tenant ignores a slow drip for six months until the subfloor rots? Landlord tenant maintenance responsibilities sound simple on paper, but the real world is full of gray areas that catch self-managing landlords off guard — usually right when it's most expensive to learn the lesson. In this episode, Kevin and I walk through exactly who is responsible for what at a rental property, starting with the legal foundation every landlord needs to know: the implied warranty of habitability. We break down the big categories that always fall on the landlord, what tenants are responsible for day to day, and the property-type differences that change everything from yard maintenance to shared common areas. We also dig into the trickiest part of the conversation — wear and tear versus actual damage — and the question every landlord eventually faces: should you ever let a tenant make a repair themselves? We share two real situations from our own properties, including a late-night text about a leaking toilet and a move-out discovery that cost us thousands. If you've ever wondered where

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