Many tenants believe that landlords are responsible for paying the cost of all repairs, but tenants must foot the bill in some instances. Paragraph 18D(2) of the TAR Residential Lease specifies the circumstances where the tenant is responsible for the cost of repairs.
- When the tenant causes the condition
If a ceiling fan stops working under normal use, the landlord must pay to fix it. However, if the fan was spinning just fine until the tenant threw a football that knocked off a fan blade, the tenant must pay. - When a tenant’s guest causes the condition
Suppose a tenant’s guest mistakenly shifts his vehicle into drive rather than reverse and plows into the front of the house. It doesn’t matter that the tenant wasn’t the person driving; the tenant still has to pay for the repair. - Damage to doors, windows, and screens (and damage caused by leaving them open)
Whether a door, window, or screen is damaged by a tenant, the tenant’s guest, a tree, a bird, a criminal, or any other cause, the lease specifies that repairs are the responsibility of the tenant. Tenants must also pay for any damage caused by leaving doors or windows open. - Certain plumbing problems
Tenants must pay for plumbing repairs due to blocked drains if the stoppage was caused by “foreign or improper objects in the lines that exclusively serve the property.”
Paragraph 18D(2)e also specifies that landlords are not required to pay for cosmetic repairs that do not affect the use of the item. Finally, the paragraph provides a blank to list additional items the landlord wants to specify as the responsibility of the tenant if those items require repairs.
Who pays for a garage door that malfunctions and benbs in half vertically across all panels upon closing because the panels were damaged prior to current tenant moving in?
Who is responsible for repairing a closet door in the tenant bedroom ?
Rotten Tree on the property crashes through my ceiling I have to pay for the repairs
In a commercial lease in Tx who is responsible for roof leaking , central heater , electrical fixture main component other than light bulbs , plumbing drains . Electrical capacity of using light microwave and fans at same time .?
I found it a little strange that this doesn’t mention clause 18D(2)(F) which state that the landlord will not pay to have the fridge, washer, dryer, or garage door opener repaired if it breaks on like the first day that you move in.