If you own a rental property somewhere with snowy winters, you may be speculating how to cope with the responsibility of snow removal. Guidelines about snow removal for rental property owners are surprisingly wide-ranging and sometimes complicated. Due to this, you need to allocate snow removal responsibilities accordingly long before the first flakes fall. But who should be doing it – you or your tenant? That depends on a few factors, which we talk about in more detail below.
Local Ordinance
Initially, look up your local ordinance to recognize your snow removal responsibilities. In many but not all areas, local laws request property owners to remove snow from adjacent public sidewalks and driveways, generally within a certain period (usually 24 to 48 hours). But in some locations, local ordinances go beyond simply requiring snow removal. They may also denote where the removed snow can and cannot be piled up.
Some cities may require property owners to remove snow from fire hydrants, benches, or shared places next to their property. Others may limit where you can pile the snow (hurling snow on the road is against the law in several towns) or how high you can pile snow up along a walkway. Some may even restrain what kinds of road salt or other deicing materials you can utilize on your walkways and driveways.
Irrespective of what the local ordinances say, avoiding getting hit with fines for improper snow removal is critical.
Property Type
When assigning snow removal responsibilities, who gets dispensed the task also depends on what type of rental property you manage. For example, multi-family property owners are generally responsible for snow removal. Yet, for single-family rental homes, the majority of owners and landlords can delegate the task of snow removal to the tenant.
These circumstances can work in numerous situations, mainly if your tenant already handles yard maintenance and other uncomplicated tasks. However, it’s vital to note that the local ordinances still apply, so you must educate your tenant on proper snow removal practices to avoid breaking local laws.
Tenant Ability
Another vital factor to remember is your tenant’s ability to perform snow removal tasks properly and on schedule. If your tenant isn’t physically able to carry out such duties or is viewed as a member of a protected class under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you may need to make other arrangements. Even though requiring a disabled tenant to perform snow removal is not technically prohibited, a lack of consideration for your tenant could severely damage tenant relations. In these scenarios, you may find the more ethical and profitable option to hire a professional property manager to accomplish it for your tenant or simply execute it alone if you’d like.
Lease Documents
Most single-family rental property owners request their tenants to handle snow removal. And if you’d like to do the same, you need to involve clear language in your lease that specifies your tenant’s responsibilities related to that responsibility. Another great approach is to include any relevant data from local ordinances if your tenant must comply with certain rules. Complete lease documents can help your tenant understand their snow removal responsibilities and can be an invaluable resource should a disagreement happen.
On the other hand, if you plan to provide snow removal, write that in the lease as well. You should also include expectations associated with that service, such as moving vehicles or not parking on the street during snow removal service hours.
One great thing about hiring a property management company such as Real Property Management Ascension is that we will help you identify how best to handle weather-related maintenance at your rental property. Contact us or call 706-760-7912right away to gain more data about our range of property management services in Chattanooga and adjoining areas.
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