Top 7 Things Landlords Should or Should Not Provide For Tenants

A good landlord always wants to make things easy for their tenants to take care of the property.  They also want to stay profitable.  When navigating these two goals a landlord needs to decide how to handle many different factors.  All the different questions and scenarios can make a landlord’s brain start to spin. If a landlord provides too many things for their tenant it can lead down an expensive road of hassle and problems. So, where is the line of what a landlord should provide and what they should not provide? 

Each market and area can be different but for the Utah County and Salt Lake County area, covered by Kasteel Property Management, we know how to answer those questions for you. Here are the top 7 things a landlord should or should not provide for tenants.

1. Lawn mower and yard maintenance tools: it’s natural to think that if a landlord provides a lawn mower to the tenant that the tenant is more likely to take care of the yard. The reality is, if it’s in the lease to take care of the yard then a good tenant will do that regardless of whether you buy them a lawnmower or if they have to get their own. Most people that are renting a home with a yard are already expecting to maintain the yard themselves.  What you don’t want to do, as the landlord, is provide so many things to the tenant they become dependent on you.  Nor do you want to be responsible for the maintenance of extra things when they break. So, it’s best to not provide a lawn mower and yard maintenance tools.
2. Washer and dryer: I find about 50% of the time people have their own washer and dryer. That being the case, if you provide a washer and dryer it will inevitably end up being in the way. For the 50% that don’t have a washer and dryer it doesn’t typically make or break the deal when a washer and dryer is not provided. If there is already a washer and dryer in the home go ahead and leave them but have a plan to have them quickly removed if needed.   If there is not a washer and dryer in the home it’s best to keep it that way and let the tenants provide their own. At Kasteel Property Management we also specify in our lease agreement that if there is a washer and dryer in the home we will not be fixing or replacing them should the need arise.
3. Refrigerator and other kitchen appliances: this one really depends on the area, but in Utah County and Salt Lake County. It is typical that all large kitchen appliances are provided including the refrigerator.  If there is not a mounted microwave you do not need to provide a countertop one. If during an upgrade you decide to install a mounted microwave it is a nice, appealing feature that brings value to tenants and is a low cost upgrade.
4. Smart systems, camera doorbell, security systems:  I cannot emphasize this one enough.  Do not install them.  If you buy a home that already has them in it you might even consider having them removed.  Coordinating and setting up access and accounts every time a tenant moves out and moves in is a very big hassle. Best practices are to let tenants install these things themselves if they want them. All of these systems can be installed wirelessly and will cause very little if any damage to the property.
5. Yard care: ideally, the yard on a rental property is either taken care of by an HOA or is very simple with just grass and automated sprinklers.  That way you don’t have to worry about it as a landlord.  Some may be concerned about the tenant not taking care of the yard. Again, if you have followed proper screening procedures then you will likely have a good tenant that is responsible. See our video Best Practices to Screen Tenants.  With property screening and regular inspections you have a very high chance of not having problems leaving the yard care in the hands of the tenant.  Although, If you have a rental home with a complicated yard with shrubbery, flower beds, trees, gardens, and such then you should have the care for those things included in the rent.
6. Utilities: This depends on the home.  In general have the tenants put the utilities in their own name but if it’s a multi unit property where each unit does not have a separate meter, something like water for example, simply have that utility included with rent.  You may be able to charge a little higher rent to help offset this.  It’s not worth the hassle and headache of splitting up utilities and charging it to individual tenants.  It will never be exactly right and can get you involved in debates and arguments that you can’t win and that aren’t worth your peace of mind.
7. Monthly HOA fee:  Ultimately this bill is the responsibility of the homeowner.  It would not be wise to trust someone else to be making your payments so the landlord should not leave it up to the tenant to make this payment.  In our area of Utah County and Salt Lake County it is typically expected that this will be paid for by the homeowner.

In general use a little common sense and don’t over provide.  Remember if you start proving too much then you can end up being committed to always providing those things.