Window Treatments For Longtime Resident
My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California
Took over management of a building 6 months ago. A problematic tenant of 7 years is requesting new window treatments, all the venetian blinds the apartment was rented with have become unserviceable.
Is it the our responsibility to get a tenant new window treatments?
Thx
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident?
Q: Is it the our responsibility to get a tenant new window treatments?
A: What does the lease say?
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident?
There is no mention of window treatments in the lease, just that the tenant received the apartment with everything in working order.
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident?
There is no mention of window treatments in the lease, just that the tenant received the apartment with everything in working order.
Tell her she is welcome to install any window treatment she pays for.
Then ask her to tell you when they are installed and you will come by and admire them.
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident?
thanks Senior Judge. I'll do that.
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident?
Here's information on making repairs, although it addresses more serious defects than problems with window treatments. I haven't investigated deeply, and haven't looked at all in relation to California, but off the top of my head I don't recall ever seeing a state law that requires a landlord to provide window treatments (although most do). Local ordinances are another matter, and should be checked; I understand that New York City requires landlords to provide window treatments.
The language of your lease may control your respective duties. Your duties may also depend upon the cause of the problems with the blinds - did they wear out due to age, or did the tenant mistreat them?
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident?
Thanks Aaron, that was a big help too.
TW
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident
Marched down to housing authority and had a heart to heart with a rep who told me only serviceable windows and doors are required in this regard. Thanks for the advice given here.
Re: Window Treatments For Longtime Resident
I've been landlording for 25 years now, and early on I am the mistake of taking the legalistice approach, i.e. I'm not required to provide window treatments. I didn't provide them, and I since learned that it was a big mistake.
From the tenant's standpoint, neither do they have to provide window treatments either, nor are they any requirments for the type of window treatments they are to install. And more importantly, neither is there any requirements that "handy" people have to install them if the tenant is a total klutz. Many are.
What happened was:
- Tenants isntalled cheapo shades, or worst yet, had a few of them that hung dirty sheets, and even newspapers for the entire time they were there, one guy for over five years. You could imagine the terrible curb appeal, and affect on values to my property, as well as the neighbors nearby.
- But the worst problem was that I found the plaster around the windows are not particulary stable due to water and moisture issues, and when tenants does install crappy window treatments, and because it's their's, no one leaves it behind to benefit the "cheapo landlord", they yank it out, so the constant klutzy installation and removal of window treatments resulted in requiring extensive plastering and repair work done around the windows where big sections of plaster just falls off. I can't justify deduction for repairs due to crappy plaster. The plaster problem can be alleviated by re-pointing the outside, cutting down the moisture, at a cost of thousands of dollars, so puttiing in window treatments is actually cheaper.
- I found when apartments are priced right, and and looks just right, and the tenants doesn't have to do anything (does not have to shop for window treatments) rents in a snap, and window treatments is part of it. I got re-renting apartments to a point where on many occasions, one guy moves out in the morning and the next guy moves in that afternoon, agreeing to a paint allowance. That is not possible if re-plastering is required to re-rent the place. A month's rent for a 2BR here is $1,500, and if window treatments speeds re-renting by weeks, it's paid for itself already.
By putting window treatments in, I now have everything looking uniform and nice when the building is approached.
As to how long they last, nice blinds last about seven to eight years, and has to be replaced. A single family house that I installed expensive verticle blinds, we're into the third set, as we had it for nearly 25 years. Just yesterday, we gone thru our third "hot water tank", and into the fourth.
I have verticals installed in my own home, lasted about 10 years now, and has to be replaced.
On the other hand, I picked the SFH rental up as a bargain for 70K in 1983, and the value at it's peak a year or two back was $425K, so I'm not bothered with the cost of window treatments, and hot water tanks that I have to put into it, as it's just the cost of doing business.
Remember, there's always a down side to doing things on the cheap. While this is a board that gives "legal answers" The best legal answer may not always be the one that best manages the property, as I found out