Basic Tenant Responsibilities

Landlords who are not familiar with some of the basic tenant responsibilities may be doing themselves a serious injustice. Their lack of knowledge on the subject could put themselves at the mercy of shrewd tenants who are willing to quickly take advantage of (and profit from) the situation.

If this occurs, the sad outcome is that the tenant unfairly gains at the landlord's expense, plain and simple. In some cases, a tenant taking advantage of an unknowledgeable landlord may be like "taking candy from a baby".

So your responsibility, as a hard working landlord, is to determine the exact scope of your tenant's legal obligations. This knowledge can certainly prevent yourself from being shortchanged and taken advantage of. After all, fairness and a level-playing field is the name of the game! On that note, let's see what your tenant's basic duties and responsibilities are…

Tenant Responsibilities

1.) Duty to Maintain the Premises- The tenants, as well as their family members and visitors, are responsible for keeping the premises clean and safe according to local or state health and safety code standards. This includes keeping the interior and exterior areas clean and safe from hazards, and disposing of all garbage and waste in a proper manner. Also, all facilities (plumbing, electrical, etc.) must be used in a proper manner, and the premises should not be damaged or defaced either deliberately or negligently.

2.) Quiet Enjoyment- All tenants (and their visitors) have the responsibility to avoid creating noisy and disorderly disturbances that will bother the "quiet enjoyment" of other tenants in the premises.

3.) Duty to Comply with Landlord Rules- Tenants are obligated to follow all of the landlord's lawful rules and regulations that concern the use and occupancy of the rental unit (premises). This is provided that the landlord makes the tenant aware of such rules at the beginning of the rental agreement, or upon proper notice thereafter.

4.) Allowing the Landlord Legal Access- If a landlord makes a proper (legal) request to a tenant to enter his or her rental unit, the tenant must allow the landlord lawful access to the unit or negotiate an alternative time.

5.) Use the Dwelling only as a Residence- Unless it is stipulated otherwise, the tenant should only use the premises as a personal residence and not as a place to conduct business operations.

6.) Duty to pay Rent- This is the most obvious duty of all, but unless agreed to otherwise, the tenant is obligated to pay the landlord rent for the use and occupancy of the premises.

And those are the primary tenant responsibilities that tenants are legally obligated to perform. As a landlord, knowing the legal responsibilities of your tenants will allow you to enforce those obligations and make your tenants "tow the line". This will ensure that you're not taken advantage of. As a result, your landlord business will be much better off for having done so.

Please note; the above information is general in nature and should not be considered legal advice. It should not be relied upon for your own particular circumstances. For legal advice, please consult the services of an attorney who is licensed to practice law in your jurisdiction.

For more useful information on tenant responsibilities, please visit The Landlord's Library book collection. This collection is the best resource available for helping you pave the path to your success as a residential landlord.

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