Plumbing repairs and maintenance responsibilities are always a common point of contention between tenants and landlords. However, these parties have a specific role to play during the tenancy.
When it comes to the maintenance and repairs of any installations and features on rental premises, there can be confusion about which person is responsible. Both parties must be aware of the individual legal obligations and their role in maintaining specific installations and appliances.
About Hot Water System Replacement on a Rental Property
We at Better Plumbing offer high-quality solutions for different types of rental premises. Here is some information that can help:
- Before any tenant moves into that property, the landlord needs to ensure that it is in good condition and that all the appliances, features and installations are working correctly. It should be clean and safe, and fit for a tenant to live there.
- In most cases, it is the landlord’s responsibility to manage the installation and the maintenance and repair of a gas, water, electricity, and other features, including roofing, ceiling windows and doors etc.
- All these become the landlord’s responsibility unless the tenant has caused damage to any of the features.
- The exact obligations of the landlord would be mentioned in the tenancy agreement. It is why both the parties must read and understand all the terms of the contract thoroughly before signing on the dotted line.
- The tenant needs to request a condition report copy from the landlord and take photographs of all the areas before they take possession.
Landlord’s Responsibilities
Every landlord has to maintain the following fixtures and items in the condition that they were when the lease agreement was signed:
- Premises structure
- Equipment on the property
- The landlord’s fixtures, fittings, and appliances related to various services, including water, electricity, and gas. This includes a hot water system and all the plumbing attached to it.
It Is Not The Landlord’s Responsibility To Maintain These Items If:
- The repair work is required because the tenant misused that fixture or fitting.
- The tenant is required/entitled to remove that particular fixture or fit it at the end of their lease.
Tenant’s Responsibilities
The tenant’s responsibility is to ensure that all the fixtures, fittings installations, and items are in the same condition. They are required to keep the premises in good order and clean.
In case of a hot water system emergency, if the landlord is not contactable, the tenant can get the repair work done after noting what is wrong. They need to get the opinion of a professional plumber.
However, the landlord would have to reimburse the hot water heater costs and installation charges. You must contact your landlord and maintain a record of the attempts you have made to reach them before you approach a plumber.
For any more information, feel free to contact Better Plumbing on 0488 802 916. We offer same-day bookings and service, and you can send us your service request through this Contact Us form. Our team will contact you as soon as possible.