Tenant Maintenance
Tenants have certain responsibilities to maintain the home they are living in. The following responsibilities are either explicitly or indirectly implied within the Tenant Lease agreement or Georgia law:
Tenant’s Responsibilities:
• keep the rented premises in a safe and sanitary condition;
• promptly notify the landlord of maintenance problems;
• exterminate insects—if they were not there when tenant took possession;
• maintain any part of the dwelling, grounds, appliances, equipment, utilities as mutually agreed to in a lease;
• leave the rented premises in good condition (normal wear and tear excepted);
• pay for any damages caused by the tenant or their guests.
Three Types of Maintenance Problems:
1. Emergencies – situations that pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of the occupants and require action within 24 hours. Examples: gas leak, flooding, and major structural damage.
2. Major problem – situations that affect the quality of the residential environment but do not immediately endanger the occupants. Action should be taken within a few days of notice. Examples: defective water heater, clogged drain, heating problems in part of a unit, and defective locks on doors.
3. Minor problem – situations that fall into the “nuisance” category. Nuisance items should be addressed as soon as possible, i.e. 30-60 days. Examples: defective lighting, dripping faucets, household pests, and peeling paint.
Below are some basic maintenance help guides for Tenants:
Circuit Breakers: Circuit Breakers control electricity flowing throughout your home. A Circuit Breaker Control Panel houses all of the breakers withing the home. Occasionally a breaker will trip (deactivate) due to putting too many electrical devices on a single circuit. An individual Breaker can be reset by turning the breaker switch to the Off position and then turning the switch back to On. Below is a weblink with instructions on how to reset a Circuit Breaker.
How to Reset a Circuit Breaker
GFCI Receptacles: GFCI Receptacles are special receptacles that are normally located around areas that may become wet by accident such as kitchens and bathrooms. GFCI Receptacles are easy to spot because they will have two small buttons located in the center of the receptacle. One button will trip (deactivate) the receptacle and the other button will reset (activate) the receptacle.
GFCI Outlet: How it works and how to test
HVAC Filter Change: A filter is located within the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system. The filter is used to clean the air circulating the air throughout the home. Not changing the filter on a routine basis will allow airborne impurities to circulate through the home and cause the system to work harder trying to pull air through a dirty filter.
How to Change the HVAC Air Filter
Clogged Toilets and Sinks: Toilets and sinks get clogged up when too much material (ie. toilet paper) or grease has been put down the pipes.
Toilet Bowl Flappers: Every now and then a toilet bowl will sound like it is continually running water through the system. In many cases the flapper that is located in the water tank of the toilet bowl may be worn and needs to be replaced. The flapper can be purchased at a local hardware store and generally costs less than $10.
How to Change a Toilet Bowl Flapper
