Apartment Maintenance: Are You Responsible?

Sometimes your responsibilities as a tenant aren’t always clear with regard to apartment maintenance, like its plumbing, appliances, and heating and cooling equipment. To be on the safe side, the better idea is to treat the apartment’s plumbing and appliances as if they were your own. With careful use, you won’t need to worry about clogged pipes, broken garbage disposals, or a cooling system that won’t run.

In General

Read the lease agreement. It may specify that the tenant is responsible for repairs caused by misuse or neglect of the property. Under Texas law, the landlord is responsible for completing repairs within a timely manner when the breakdown is the result of normal wear and tear.

Plumbing System

Abusing the plumbing, especially toilets and garbage disposals, will probably end up being your responsibility. Garbage disposals aren’t meant for every kind of food scrap. If you can’t chew it yourself, it shouldn’t go into the garbage disposal. Even though some kitty litter and baby wipes say they’re flushable, they really aren’t.

Although leaking faucets don’t necessarily harm the plumbing, they do waste a good deal of water and can create moldy conditions in kitchens and bathrooms. No one expects you to repair the faucets, but it’s up to you to report them.

HVAC System

Ask your landlord to supply air filters for its cooling and heating system. If they won’t and you’re paying the energy bills for the rental, buy them out of your own pocket. Nothing drives up cooling and heating costs faster than a dirty filter.

Avoid blocking registers for spaces you’re not actively using. Doing so reduces the air flowing through the system, which harms the equipment. If your unit has an outdoor condenser, avoid placing anything on top of it or beside it that restricts its airflow. Doing so will increase cooling costs and contribute to a breakdown.

Many times, your apartment manager or landlord can answer specifics regarding what your apartment maintenance responsibilities are. If you’d like more information about its plumbing or cooling system, contact CCAC. We provide trusted HVAC services for Coastal Bend residents.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Corpus Christi, Texas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 361-678-2495.

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