As a landlord, you may experience a predicament when your tenants ask to install a hot tub on your rental property. Even while it can bring about the desired tenant satisfaction and cost savings, hot tub installation has potential risks. If the hot tub malfunctions or causes damage to the property, you may be left with costly repairs and legal disputes. Over and above that, poor tenant maintenance can cause hygiene concerns or safety hazards.
In such a case, just before deciding, it’s important to go into all the expected risks and benefits of allowing your tenants to install a hot tub. Weigh on consulting with legal or insurance professionals to guarantee you are secured in case of any issues.
For property owners, deciding if tenants can have a hot tub is determined by a large number of factors. There are very good reasons for allowing or not allowing it. Here are points of consideration for each option:
Reasons to Allow Tenants to Have a Hot Tub:
- Attracting and Retaining Tenants: Bestowing amenities such as a sauna bath can make your property more appealing to potential tenants, empowering you to charge higher rent and retain tenants for extended periods of time.
- Increased Property Value: Installing a hot tub can develop the overall value of your property, which can be appropriate if you plan to sell in the future.
- Competitive Advantage: In many rental markets, setting up a hot tub can give your property a competitive edge over others, helping it stick out and get rented more quickly.
- Tenant Satisfaction: Tenants who relish the luxury of a hot tub may be more contented with their living arrangements, which could happily reduce unimportant complaints and bring about ideal relationships.
Reasons Not to Allow Tenants to Have a Hot Tub:
- Maintenance and Costs: Hot tubs demand regular maintenance, namely cleaning, water treatment, and probable repairs. You may need to accept these costs or pass them on to your tenants, which could scare away a lot of renters.
- Liability and Safety Concerns: Hot tubs can pose safety risks. There is a risk of accidents, injuries, or even lawsuits if someone gets hurt. You may need to secure additional insurance coverage to cover yourself.
- Potential Property Damage: There’s a risk that the sauna bath could damage the property, as an illustration, the deck or plumbing, which may cause costly repairs.
- Local Regulations: Plenty of local municipalities and homeowners’ associations may have regulations or restrictions on setting up and using hot tubs. It’s vital to check and comply with any such rules.
- Increased Utility Costs: Hot tubs consume electricity and water, which could bring on higher utility bills. Decide whether you or the tenant will cover these costs.
Assume you are weighing on allowing your tenants to set up a hot tub on your property. In such a case, there are several critical considerations to call to mind, namely, ownership, the lease agreement terms, the removal and restoration process, cost responsibilities, and the approval process.
Putting clear guidelines and rules in the lease agreement is definitely recommended if you resolve to permit hot tub installation. This can include essential issues such as maintenance and repair, responsibilities, and usage restrictions, which are relevant to ensure the safety of your tenants and protect your property.
If you’re managing rental properties in Waunakee and would like more insight on how to write your lease agreement, the Waunakee property managers at Real Property Management Greater Madison Metro can help. Contact us online or call us at 608-310-1290 today.
Originally Published on July 3, 2020
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