What Are the Responsibilities of a Kern County Landlord?

What are the responsibilities of a landlord? We hear this question all the time, and today, we’re talking about some of the things you need to provide in order to successfully rent out a property .

Your first responsibility as a landlord is to provide safe and habitable housing to your tenants. Before you even begin to advertise your home, you need to make sure everything in it is functional. Look for safety concerns and fix or replace anything that’s broken. During the tenancy, you need to keep the property in good condition .

When a tenant makes a maintenance or repair request , you should respond to it as soon as you can. Issues that affect a home’s habitability need to be taken care of immediately. If there’s no heat in the winter, or a leak that’s causing flooding, or an electrical problem that presents a fire hazard, you cannot wait to make the necessary repairs. Be sure that you have a team of vendors available to help you keep the property in good condition. You may need a plumber in the middle of the night or a roofer over a holiday weekend. Your relationships with vendors are important.

Tenants need to know how to reach you, especially if there’s an emergency. Make sure you’re available to take calls and respond to problems. If you cannot dedicate the time and be accessible, make sure you work with a professional property manager who can take care of these things for you. The tenant needs a reliable point of contact.

These are just a few of the things you need to do to be a good landlord. If you have any questions about your landlord responsibilities, or you’d like to learn more about Kern County property management , please contact us at JBL & Associates.