Are you a Landlord with a leaky roof on one of your rental properties? Here are your options as a Landlord, when it comes to roofs!
Communication is the Key
Imagine being a tenant of a rental property who is dealing with a leaking roof. Your personal property is at risk, you’re worried the leak will worsen while you’re away, and the weather forecast looks bleak. The tenant might feel like their problem is being ignored, but hopefully, that’s not the case. Many Landlords, especially those who have rental properties in Walton County Georgia but live in other cities or states, may not even realize there’s a problem!
The communication between the tenant and the Landlord is often handled by the property management company, and your first step to solving your leaking roof is to ensure the lines of communication are crystal clear.
Landlord Options
As a Landlord, hearing that one of your rental properties needs repair is probably the last thing you want to hear, but you’re responsible for ensuring that any tenants living in a residence you own is maintained and complies with all applicable building codes, housing codes, and health codes. If your tenant has reported a leaking roof to you, hopefully, you’re doing everything in your power to get it fixed! You’ve probably been planning ahead for rental property expenses like this, but if not, now is the time to start!
The first thing you should do is send out a reliable and reputable local roofer to take a look at the property’s roof. Once they are able to see and assess the situation, they’ll be able to provide you with the options for repairing or replacing the roof, depending on the severity of the leak and the condition of the roof. In most cases, roof leaks can be repaired quickly and without major expense.
One of the most effective strategies for keeping tenants long term is responding quickly to requests for maintenance and repairs, so if you don’t want to incur the cost of acquiring a new tenant, it pays to act quickly!
Repair or Replace?
If you’re given the option to either repair or replace the roof, it’s important that you thoroughly consider the options. There are tax implications and options for property renovations and repairs, so you want to make sure that you’re taking advantage of the tax law when you can, especially with major purchases such as roof replacement.
