Most repair disputes come from surprise. Here's the usual split, the gray areas, and how to put it in writing.
A tenant texts that the kitchen light is out. Another says the dishwasher stopped draining. A third reports a mouse. Each one raises the same quiet question: whose job, and whose cost, is this?
The answer comes from three places: your lease, your state and local law, and the cause of the problem. This post gives you the general pattern landlords and tenants usually follow, what changes the answer, and how to set expectations so these questions don't turn into arguments. This is general information, not legal advice, and the rules vary by state, so check your lease and local landlord-tenant law.
Landlords generally keep the home safe, livable and working. Tenants generally cover damage they or their guests cause, and small upkeep the lease assigns to them.
In most places, a landlord has a duty to keep a rental habitable. That typically means working heat and plumbing, safe electrical and structural systems, and fixing conditions that affect health and safety. Tenants are generally expected to keep the unit reasonably clean, use things as intended, and report problems promptly. Normal wear and tear is usually the landlord's cost, while damage beyond it is often the tenant's.
Treat this as a starting point. The "depends" column is where lease terms and local law matter most.
Most disputes come from surprise. The fix is to say it once, clearly, in writing:
Decide in advance how you'll handle the gray areas, too. For example, you might cover the first service call on a clogged drain and ask the tenant to pay if the plumber finds a cause they created. Whatever you choose, tell the tenant before the work starts.
The "whose job is this" question is exactly what the first few minutes of a request are for. Guardian's AI action plan reads the tenant's report and drafts an urgency level, suggested self-fixes where it's safe (like resetting a tripped breaker or checking a filter), recommended vendors or service reps from your own list, and a pre-drafted message to the tenant. You edit and approve it. Your tenant can see their requests and their status in the tenant portal, and the request history gives you a record of what was reported and what was done. A real person always makes the final call.
For how that fits into the whole sequence, see The Complete Rental Property Maintenance Workflow, and for what the plan itself contains, see What a Good Maintenance Action Plan Looks Like.
Generally, landlords keep the home habitable, including heat, plumbing, electrical and structural systems, and the appliances they provide, while tenants cover damage they cause and small upkeep the lease assigns to them. The exact answer depends on your lease and your state and local law, so check both.
It depends on the cause. If the clog came from misuse, like flushing items that shouldn't be flushed, it's often the tenant's cost. If it's a problem in the building's lines or an age-related failure, it's usually the landlord's. A plumber's diagnosis often settles the question.
Generally no. Normal wear and tear, such as minor scuffs and fading from ordinary use, is usually the landlord's cost. Damage beyond normal wear, caused by the tenant or their guests, is often chargeable. Rules vary by state, so check local law.
Guardian Landlord drafts an action plan for every request, including suggested self-fixes, vendors and a tenant message, and keeps a full request history. Try it free for 3 months.
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