If you own a rental property in someplace with snowy winters, you may be questioning how to manage the responsibility of snow removal. Guidelines about snow removal for rental property owners are shockingly fluctuated and sometimes complicated. Consequently, it’s essential to appoint snow removal responsibilities accordingly long before the first flakes fall. Yet, who ought to make it happen – you or your tenant? That relies upon two or three things, which we talk about in more detail below.
Local Ordinance
First, inspect your local ordinance to grasp your snow removal responsibilities. In numerous but not all places, local laws require property owners to remove snow from adjoining public sidewalks and driveways, usually within a specific period (usually 24 to 48 hours). But in certain spots, local ordinances go beyond simply requiring snow removal. They may also indicate where the removed snow can and cannot be piled up.
A few cities may require property owners to remove snow from fire hydrants, benches, or shared areas beside their property. Others may limit where you can pile the snow (tossing snow on the road is against the law in numerous towns) or how high you can pile snow up along a walkway. Some may even restrict what sorts of road salt or other deicing materials you can use on your walkways and driveways.
Regardless of what the local ordinances say, avoiding getting hit with fines for improper snow removal is significant.
Property Type
When splitting up snow removal responsibilities, who gets appointed to the undertaking also relies upon what type of rental property you own. For example, multi-family property owners are almost always responsible for snow removal. Nonetheless, for single-family rental homes, most owners and landlords can allocate the task of snow removal to the tenant.
These circumstances can work in several situations, primarily if your tenant already handles yard maintenance and other fundamental errands. Nonetheless, it’s critical to remember that the local ordinances still apply, so you should educate your tenant on appropriate snow removal practices to avoid breaking local laws.
Tenant Ability
One more significant thing to remember is your tenant’s ability to perform snow removal assignments accurately and on time. If your tenant isn’t physically able to perform 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. While requiring an incapacitated tenant to do snow removal is not actually unlawful, a lack of consideration for your tenant could significantly damage tenant relations. In such cases, you may find the more ethical and profitable option to hire a professional property manager to do it for your tenant or basically execute it yourself if you like.
Lease Documents
Most single-family rental property owners request their tenants to handle snow removal. And if you intend to do likewise, it’s essential to include clear language in your lease that indicates your tenant’s responsibilities connected with that assignment. Another best practice is to incorporate any connected data from local ordinances if your tenant needs to follow specific guidelines. Clear lease documents can help your tenant understand their snow removal responsibilities and can be an invaluable resource should a dispute arise.
Alternatively, if you plan to provide snow removal, indicate that in the lease as well. You should also include expectations connected with that service, such as moving vehicles or not parking on the street during snow removal service times.
Something extraordinary about hiring a property management company like Real Property Management Performance is that we will assist you with determining how best to handle weather-related maintenance at your rental property. Contact us or call 732-289-9337 today to become familiar with our scope of property management services in Red Bank and nearby.
Originally Published on Feb 4, 2022
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