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How Long Does A Landlord Have To Carry Out Water Heater Repair? | Carrollton, TX

How Long Does A Landlord Have To Carry Out Water Heater Repair? | Carrollton, TX

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As a landlord, you’re required by law to provide your tenant with a safe and habitable place to live. In most cases, if the tenant has an emergency, including a broken water heater, you’ll need to carry out water heater repair within twenty-four hours.

The amount of time you have to repair or maintain your property depends on the severity of the problem and whether the fault is classed as urgent or non-urgent. In general, when a tenant has no heating or hot water, this is considered an urgent repair.

If you live in Carrollton, TX, or the surrounding area and are searching for water heater repair, don’t hesitate to contact Bluefrog Plumbing and Drain. The company employs a team of highly skilled tradespeople who can work with gas and have knowledge of all the major brands of water heaters.

The laws you’ll need to follow as a landlord vary depending on the state you live in. Let’s look at everything you need to know about water heaters and their repair as a landlord.

Before Your Tenant Moves In

Before your new tenant moves into your property, it’s wise to call in a water heater repair service to check that your water heater is in good working order. If the property has an ancient water heater, it may be best to invest in a new system rather than trying to maintain the old system. You can discuss your options with your local water heater company.

It’s the landlord’s responsibility to find faults and carry out a repair. As a landlord, you have a legal responsibility to ensure that your property is safe and in a liveable condition. Before the tenant moves in, you should test the boiler or water heater to see that it’s working correctly. Open the faucets to see that they provide warm water and check that the heating is working.

How much time does a landlord have to fix a problem with the water heater?

The state you live in has laws that will determine how much time a landlord has to carry out water heater repair and fix other maintenance issues. The amount of time will also vary depending on the severity of the issue. In many states, landlords have up to thirty days to fix problems. In other states, including Texas, only three to seven days are available to fix serious issues such as lack of hot water or heating.

In Texas, as in all states of America, tenants have a legal right to live in a rental property that’s safe and meets basic health and safety requirements. The building also needs to be structurally sound. Landlords that fail to carry out essential maintenance, such as a repair, are letting their tenants down and compromising their quality of life.

If you’re a landlord in Texas, it’s crucial to stay on top of maintenance issues as your tenant does have legal rights. You should be aware of the right to “repair and deduct.” This law means that if you fail to carry out the repair or any other serious repairs that are necessary on your property, the tenant can hire a tradesperson to fix the issue and then deduct the amount they have spent from the next month’s rent.

The repair and deduct law cover all severe defects that make the property unfit for habitation.

Does water heater repair justify a tenant paying less rent in Texas?

Before tenants use the repair and deduct method, they must have given the landlord enough time to complete the repairs. This means that if a tenant reports a problem to you as a landlord, you should take action and call in the appropriate tradesperson as soon as possible.

Tenants should ensure that the circumstances allow them to pay less rent, and in Texas, not having hot water is enough to use the repair and deduct remedy legally. If you’re a landlord, you’ll need to be aware of this law.

Water Heater Repair

You can reduce the chances of your Tennant using the ‘repair and deduct’ law by ensuring you have a system in place to fix any issues before they turn into an argument between you and your Tennant. Follow these simple steps to sort out any problems with ease:

  1. Give your tenant your phone and email when they move in. If providing them with an email address, ensure that you check your email daily. You can also give your tenant a list of emergency numbers, such as a local plumber, electrician, and water heater repair company.
  2. When your tenant contacts you saying there’s a problem, reply to them as soon as possible. Give them a deal line of when you will have the problem fixed by. Usually, this will be within 24 hours or three days. Obviously, things do go wrong, or jobs take longer than you would expect, but aim to be impeccable with your word and stick to the time you’ve provided.
  3. Either visit the property yourself or send a tradesperson round to check the problem. This should be done as soon as possible.
  4. The tradesperson can then carry out any maintenance or repairs. In the case a repair, this may be fixing the water heater or, if it’s broken, replacing it completely. It’s a good idea to ask the tradesperson how long the job will take and keep the tenant updated at each stage of repairs. This is particularly important for larger jobs which are going to take a few days.

bluefrog Plumbing + Drain, Water Heater Repair, Carrollton, TX

Looking for water heater repair? If you live in Carrollton, TX, you may like to contact bluefrog Plumbing and Drain. The company employs a team of highly skilled tradespeople who are able to work with gas and have knowledge of all brands of water heaters.

Don’t hesitate to contact bluefrog Plumbing + Drain of North Dallas on 469-573-2535 for your repair needs or any plumbing needs!

 

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