Renting a home has definitely a lot of limitations because you don’t own the property. You won’t have the freedom to redesign the place and you also have limited rights about what you can do during your stay. Despite this, you can take advantage of having a safe and comfortable shelter without having to deal with major expenses.
You don’t even need to worry about purchasing expensive appliances or furniture because your landlord will already furnish the place before you arrive. That said, it’s essential that you find an ideal rental property where you don’t have to worry too much about the place you live in.
Requesting for Repair and Maintenance to Improve Your Renting Experience
Landlords are responsible for making sure that the property remains in great, habitable condition for their tenants. Thus, as a tenant, you don’t need to perform complicated tasks such as home repair and maintenance. Your landlord should be the one who sees to it that your living conditions will not be affected by certain issues concerning the rental property.
However, you need to understand that there will be times when your landlord may not be aware that there are urgent tasks that he or she needs to take care of. If you are currently experiencing discomfort because of property damages and other concerns, you need to find a way to inform your landlord about it. Here are a few ways to do this:
- Ensure that you didn’t cause the damages—First, you need to make sure that the damages to property are your landlord’s responsibility. This means you have to ensure that you didn’t cause the damage. If it’s the latter, you still need to inform your landlord about the problem. Be honest about the situation and politely make an apology while asking for assistance so you can get the services you need for your rental property.
- Take photos or find a way to document the problem—Your landlord may not be able to visit your place personally. Thus, it would be best to document the problem and let him or her know about the specific issue at hand. To do this, you can take photos or videos to document the problem. You can also include specific details such as the date when you first encountered the issue. This will give your landlord an idea about what needs to be done.
- Prepare a service request letter to your landlord—Make the request as formal as possible by writing a service request letter to your landlord. Sending an email may be the best option for this but you can also consider other forms of communication. If your landlord is more into exchanging texts, phone calls, or chat messages, you can also inform him or her about the issue using these methods. The goal here is to make sure you know how to deliver the message as clearly as possible. Also, avoid ranting to your landlord, especially if it’s your first time sending him or her a service request.
- Ask the property manager to help voice out your concerns—If you don’t have a direct means to communicate the problem with the landlord, you can also consult the property manager about it. You can also ask professional letting agents to help you get in touch with your landlord. The goal here is to make sure that you inform someone who has control over property management and maintenance. Make sure you do this immediately to prevent the issue from getting worse.
- Inform other tenants about the problem whenever necessary—If you are sharing a room or a property with other people, make sure they also get the message. This means, you have to inform them about the problem, so they are aware of it. Also, they can also help you deal with the issue by assisting you in making a formal service request to your landlord. Informing other tenants may also help you discover if they have caused the issue or not. With this, you will be able to tell your landlord additional information whenever necessary.
Renting a property may not provide you enough freedom and privacy unlike owning your own home. However, it can also give you benefits such as having the chance to meet new people or even develop friendships with other tenants. Also, renting a place can teach you how to be responsible and independent, especially when it comes to keeping your place clean and well-maintained.
If you ever encounter issues, you can always reach out to your landlord or the property manager. With this, you don’t have to worry about spending lots of money towards repairing damages or making sure that the property remains clean, safe, and secure.
