As a Washington, D.C., landlord, you have a long list of short- and long-term property maintenance responsibilities to ensure compliance with the D.C. Housing Code Standards. They require you to make your property safe and habitable by ensuring it's clean and pest-free. They even specify a time frame for keeping the A/C maintained: from May 15 to September 15!
Aside from safety, following those standards helps maintain your property's high rental value. However, you're not the only one with legal responsibilities; your tenants do, too.
So, what are they? Read on, as the experts at PMI D.C. Metro have shared the info you need to know in this guide.
Tenants' Legal Property Maintenance Responsibilities
D.C. Mun. Regs. r. 14-802 governs the legal property maintenance responsibilities of tenants in the District, including Washington. Under this rule, tenants must:
- Keep the part of the premises they occupy and use clean and sanitary
- Dispose of organic and flammable waste, rubbish, and garbage in a clean, safe, and sanitary way
- Maintain the cleanliness and hygienic conditions of all plumbing fixtures they use
- Use all plumbing, heating, electrical, and gas fixtures and appliances properly
D.C. Mun. Regs. r. 14-802 further states that tenants in the District must not intentionally destroy, damage, or remove any of the following:
- Part of the rental property or dwelling unit
- Part of the facilities
- Equipment
- Appurtenances
Tenants who violate any of the responsibilities above can face eviction under D.C. Code § 42-3505.01. However, landlords must give them a 30-day notice to correct the violation. If tenants fail to resolve the problem within 30 days, landlords can file for eviction.
Optional Property Maintenance Responsibilities
Tenants don't have to commit to "optional" property maintenance responsibilities, but that doesn't mean they won't, especially if you incentivize them to do so. You can discuss these tasks and what they can get in return during lease negotiation.
Examples of optional responsibilities involve routine or seasonal property maintenance tasks, such as:
- Replacing HVAC filters every one to three months
- Minor lawn work, such as mowing the grass and pruning overgrown shrubs
- Raking and bagging fallen leaves during the fall
- Salting or shoveling snow
- Minor property repairs like fixing a small pipe leak
As for incentives, consider giving tenants small rental fee discounts or grocery gift cards. You can also use these as general "rewards" to encourage them to pay rent on time.
While these incentives may be small, they can still be effective since they help your tenants save money. In Washington, D.C., every penny saved counts. After all, the cost of living in the U.S. capital is 53% higher than the national average, per WTOP News.
Keeping Rentals in Top Shape
Rental property maintenance is a responsibility that landlords and tenants must share. Besides, working together benefits both parties; landlords can worry about costly premature repairs, while tenants can live in a safe environment.
If you can't commit to all your landlord duties or need help ensuring your tenants do their part, PMI D.C. Metro can help. We're a locally owned, full-service property management company that can handle maintenance, marketing, tenant screening, lease enforcement, and even accounting.
So, connect with us today! We'll happily discuss how we can keep your Washington, D.C. properties profitable and in top shape.
