Who pays for repairs: landlord or tenant?
Who pays for repairs, landlord or tenant? The usual split, the questions that decide each case, and how to agree on the bill in writing before work starts.
By the RentalThread teamHow we write our guides7 min read
Who pays for repairs, landlord or tenant? In most places the owner pays to keep the home in working order, and the tenant pays for damage they or their guests cause. The lease can add details, and local law sets limits on what the lease can say. Most disputes are about the cases in between: a clogged drain, a broken blind, a dishwasher that stopped after six years.
This guide is for owners. It covers the usual split, the questions that decide each case and how to agree on the bill with your tenant before the work starts, so a $180 repair doesn't turn into a month of messages.
Why repair bills turn into disputes
An argument over who pays can cost more than the repair. The tenant feels blamed for something that wore out; the owner feels asked to pay for carelessness. Either way, trust drops, and the next request comes in later and with less detail.
Most of these arguments start with something missing when the invoice arrives:
- No one asked about the cause. The pro fixed the drain, but nobody wrote down whether it was grease, roots or an old pipe.
- The decision came after the work. The tenant hears "this one is on you" only when the invoice shows up.
- The approval was a phone call. Nobody can say later who agreed to what, or for how much.
- The history is scattered. The tenant reported a slow leak months ago in a text, and now the water damage looks like their fault.
Who pays for repairs, landlord or tenant: the usual split
The owner usually pays to keep the home safe and usable: the structure, the roof, plumbing, electrical, heating and the appliances that came with the unit. Things that fail from age and normal use are also usually the owner's, because they would have failed with any tenant.
The tenant usually pays for damage they, their household or their guests cause through misuse or carelessness, and for small upkeep the lease gives them, such as light bulbs or smoke detector batteries.
Common examples, as a starting point (your lease and local rules come first):
| Repair | Usually the owner | Usually the tenant | Depends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water heater stops working | Yes, from age or a fault | Whether it was damaged by misuse | |
| Leaking pipe under the sink | Yes, from wear or an old fitting | Whether it was reported in time | |
| Clogged kitchen drain | If roots or an old pipe caused it | If grease or food caused it | What the pro finds |
| Broken window | After a storm or a break-in | After an accident inside the home | The cause, and any police report |
| Burned-out light bulbs | Often, if the lease says so | The lease | |
| Dishwasher or washer stops | If it came with the unit | If the tenant owns it, or broke it | Who owns it and how it failed |
| Hole in a door or wall | Yes, if someone in the home caused it | Whether it was there at move-in | |
| Mold | If it comes from a leak or the building | Possibly, if documented misuse contributed and local rules allow charging | Leaks, ventilation, local rules |
For mold and other cases with more than one possible cause, have a qualified pro assess leaks, ventilation and other causes before you decide who pays. Our guide on mold in a rental apartment shows how to document it and report it to the owner in writing.
The rules differ by country, state and city: what the owner must keep working, how fast urgent repairs must happen, whether a tenant may fix something and deduct it from the rent, and what a lease can shift to the tenant. Check the rules where the property is, and read your lease before you decide.
Questions that decide who pays
When a case isn't obvious, these questions usually settle it. Ask them before the pro starts, and keep the answers in writing.
What caused it?
Cause is the main test. Wear from age points to the owner; misuse or an accident points to the tenant. Ask the pro to write the cause on the estimate or the invoice, with a photo of the part that failed. A line such as "Drain blocked by grease buildup" or "Supply hose cracked from age" gives you and the tenant the same fact to look at.
How old is the item?
A 12-year-old water heater that stops is a different case from one installed last spring. Keep install dates and receipts for major appliances, so you know an item's age when it fails.
When you charge for a damaged item, its age matters too. Compare the item's condition with your move-in photos and earlier repair records. If it needs replacing, check the local rules on age, prior condition and remaining useful life before you propose a charge: a tenant who damaged an eight-year-old stove may owe part of its value, and you can't assume they owe the price of a new one.
What does the lease say?
Many leases assign small upkeep to the tenant, or set an amount below which the tenant handles a repair. Those clauses only work within local law, so check both. If the lease says nothing, the general rule applies.
Was it reported in time?
Tenants usually have to report problems as soon as they notice them. A small leak reported on day one is the owner's repair; the same leak hidden for months may leave the tenant sharing the cost of the damage it caused, where local rules allow it. The date of the first report matters, so keep it.
Did the tenant get approval before hiring a pro?
If a tenant hires their own pro without asking, who pays can depend on whether it was an emergency and what local rules allow. Give tenants an after-hours contact, so they can reach someone before they call a pro themselves.
How to agree on the bill, step by step
- Get the facts with the request. Ask for photos or a short video, when it started and what happened just before. Our guide on handling tenant maintenance requests covers how to collect this.
- Fix the urgent part first. Water, heat, power and locks come before the question of who pays. Settle the bill afterward, with the cause on record.
- Ask the pro for the cause in writing. Send the pro the tenant's photos, and ask them to note the cause and the age of the part on the estimate.
- Tell the tenant before the work if you think it's their cost. Say why, give the amount and attach the estimate. A message sent before the work gives them the chance to ask questions or get their own estimate.
- Approve in writing, with the amount. "Approved, $180, kitchen drain, cost charged to the tenant as agreed on Mar 3." (Amounts here are only examples.)
- Keep the invoice, the photos and the messages together. Store them with the property's records, so they're easy to find later, at tax time or at move-out.
For a repair that can wait a day or two, such as a slow kitchen drain, the message before the work can be short and neutral:
Hi Sam, the plumber looked at the kitchen drain this morning. His estimate to clear it is $180 (attached), and his notes say the blockage is grease buildup, not a problem with the pipe (photo attached). Based on section 9 of our lease and the local rules, this may be your responsibility. Could you review the estimate and the photo and tell me whether you agree before we confirm the work? If you see it differently, we can look at it together.
When you can't agree
Start with the record: the first report, the photos, the pro's note on the cause. Once you and the tenant look at the same photos and the same note from the pro, you often agree.
If they don't, consider splitting the cost when the cause is unclear, rather than spending months on a small amount. Before you deduct a repair from the deposit, check the rules where the property is on which deductions are allowed and on the documents, notices and deadlines they require. If responsibility is disputed, get local advice before you withhold any money. Our move-out inspection checklist explains how wear and damage are usually told apart at the end of a lease. For larger amounts, a local tenant-landlord mediation service, a lawyer or a housing office can explain your options and their deadlines.
How RentalThread will make it easier
With RentalThread, each repair will have its own thread that you, your tenant and the pro can follow: the tenant's report with photos or video, the pro's estimate, your approval, the completion and the payment, each with its date. When the question of who pays comes up, everyone will look at the same record.
AI will read your lease and the pro's invoices, so the clause about repairs and the amount on the bill are easy to find; you'll review what it extracts. Rent and expenses will appear per property, so a repair charged to the tenant and one you paid are both on record. See what's planned for owners.
Send it to an owner, manager, agent, tenant or pro who could use it.
Questions, or a topic you'd like us to cover? Write to us at contact@rentalthread.com.
