Apartment Upkeep Requirements

Whether you're the landlord or a tenant of an apartment, you must understand the upkeep and maintenance involved. The lease will determine who is responsible for each specific task. If there are any questions about this, the landlord and tenant should sit down and figure things out together.

There are certain tasks that you will need to do on an annual basis. These include deep cleaning the carpet (if the floor is carpeted) and cleaning the blinds and curtains. These tasks can be part of an annual spring cleaning. Paint should be refreshed as needed, probably every few years.

Monthly, you should change the furnace filters and check lightbulbs and smoke detector batteries. Sometimes the landlord will change the furnace filters, but small things like lightbulbs and smoke detector batteries are usually the responsibility of the tenant.

Another periodic task that many apartments need is pest control. Since apartment dwellers generally have quite a few neighbors living in the same building, apartments are more prone to pests like mice and roaches, especially if some tenants are less sanitary than others. Therefore, it's critical to spray for pests every few months and check for evidence of mice. Eliminating any pest problems early is vital to insuring that it doesn't later turn into a full-blown infestation.

Some other things that need done to keep your apartment in tip-top shape fall under the category of everyday tasks. Keeping the refrigerator and oven clean, sweeping the floors, keeping dishes washed and counters wiped off are all things you'll need to do to make sure your apartment stays clean and sanitary.

One thing most tenants appreciate about apartment life is that they never have to mow the grass. Most apartments have maintenance people and lawn care professionals on the payroll that take care of all the landscaping, grass cutting and weed pulling.

As a tenant, when you're having a problem with any component of your apartment, contact the landlord to determine who is responsible for taking care of it. Many problems, like broken appliances, are the responsibility of the apartment building owner and won't cost you the tenant a dime to repair. This is one of the biggest perks of apartment living!

Copyright 2006 Rick Hart - All Rights Reserved

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