There are distinct responsibilities of tenants and landlords when it comes to the maintenance of a San Mateo rental property. However, occasionally, due to ambiguity in lease agreements, there are disputes between tenants and landlords regarding the responsibilities of repairs and maintenance.

While the tenants are responsible for small repairs such as fixing light bulbs, changing air filters, and so on, landlords have some bigger responsibilities. These include –

Maintenance of HVAC systems

The maintenance of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the rental property is the property owner’s responsibility. These systems are made to last for a long time, about 20-30 years. Depending on the age of your property and how well you have maintained it, these systems will not need to be replaced very often. However, periodic maintenance is necessary to ensure their optimum functionality.

Efficient Electronic Equipment

Maintaining the electronic equipment in the apartment is the owner’s responsibility. This includes items like dishwashers, washing machines, ovens, microwaves, and so on. These items are frequently used on a day-to-day basis, however, with proper usage they generally require little maintenance and usually have a good lifespan.

Functional Plumbing

The owner needs to address any issues that may arise regarding the plumbing within the house. The expense of a broken pipe or a dysfunctional tap must be borne by the owner. However, the owner doesn’t need to fix a dripping faucet. Tiny problems like these can be addressed by the tenant.

No Pests

The owner needs to ensure that the property is not infested by pests. At all times, it is the landlord’s responsibility to keep the house pest-free. In case there is a pest infestation, the landlord is expected to pay to get the house fumigated and made pest-free.

Responsibilities of the Tenants

Seeing this list, one might think that almost everything is covered by the owner. However, the tenant has responsibilities too. The tenant has to abide by the rules and not cause any intentional property damage. If the tenant makes a massive hole through the living room wall, they will have to be paying for fixing it.

When the tenant is moving out, the landlord conducts an inspection and can cut expenses from the security deposit if the tenant has made a mess of the house, creating an unhealthy space.

Services-related Responsibilities of Landlords

In case of a property-related issue in San Mateo, the tenant is expected to raise an official complaint which has to be addressed by the landlord within a stipulated time, after which the landlord must act to fix the issue raised by the tenant.

If the landlord fails to resolve the issue, the tenant can file a complaint as a breach of contract. Landlords do get sufficient time to address these issues. However, if the issue is serious, like the flooding of the apartment, then it needs to be addressed and resolved as soon as possible.

To conclude, the landlord needs to make sure that the apartment is fit for living at all times, by ensuring that there are no pests, all amenities work properly, and the house is secure.
In case of a multi-family rental, all spaces should be completely separate. There cannot be communal kitchens or bathrooms.

Landlords have to be actively involved in maintaining their San Mateo property and keeping it up to date. If this seems like a lot of work as a property owner, you can always hire reputed and trusted property managers in the San Mateo area, such as Bayside Management, who can take care of all your property-related responsibilities.

Founded in 1982 in Marin County, Bayside Management has expanded to offer full-service San Mateo property management to the entire San Francisco Peninsula. We manage single-family properties, multi-unit complexes, commercial properties, and homeowner associations. Contact us for any San Mateo property management needs.