5 Things You Don’t Have to Fix While Renting

One of the big benefits of being a renter is that you’re not responsible for fixing and repairing certain household appliances, fixtures, and accessories. As a homeowner, these things are all your responsibility, but as a renter you can (and should) shuck the responsibilities and costs for these things off to your landlord or property manager.

What Is Your Landlord’s Responsibility While Renting?

1. Smoke detectors

By law, landlords are required to supply their tenants with functional, up-to-date smoke detectors and alarms. While the rules for alarm placement and numbers vary depending on state, it’s wise to do a once-over of the smoke detectors in your rented place. If any of them are damaged, broken, or older than ten years, contact your landlord to have them replaced.

2. Appliances

If you have a washer, dryer, oven, or dishwasher that breaks or springs a leak, it’s generally the landlord’s responsibility to pay for maintenance and repair. This holds true as long as it was not negligence on the tenant’s part that created the damage in the first place.

3. Heating, ventilation, and cooling implements

Problems with the heating, ventilation, and cooling systems are considered major habitability problems, and can result in punishment for the landlord under certain state and federal laws. With this in mind, be sure to report any major issue with your furnace, air conditioning, or windows to the landlord immediately. They will be responsible for fixing these things and, if they don’t, you may be permitted to withhold rent or move out without notice and without being held responsible for future rent.

4. Trash pick-up and receptacles

By law, landlords are responsible for providing trash receptacles and arranging for trash pick-up. If a tenant moves into a place where garbage is piling up because the landlord has not arranged to have it dealt with, the tenant is entitled to action by the landlord, or possible legal action if the problem goes unresolved.

5. Environmental toxins that affect the safety of the home

Landlords are required to manage certain environmental toxins like lead paint so that they don’t affect the overall safety or habitability of the home. This means removing lead paint, painting over it, addressing asbestos and paying the needed attention to other environmental toxins within a home.