Owners who have pools or hot tubs in their properties are often unsure about how to maintain them while tenants are occupying the home. These can be tough to deal with when tenants are in the property. There can be miscommunication and misunderstandings when it comes to establishing who is responsible for swimming pool maintenance and hot tub care. You want to keep them safe and operational. We have some recommendations.
Professional Pool Maintenance
Swimming pool maintenance should not be one of the tenant responsibilities. It’s a tough thing to put on your tenants because you’ll have a hard time ensuring they properly follow your detailed instructions. We recommend you hire a professional pool management company to service, clean, and inspect your pool and hot tub periodically. You can factor the cost of that service into your rental amount.
Using Your Lease Agreement
Your lease agreement should indicate how pool and hot tub care will be handled. If the tenant is not interested in using your pool or hot tub, you can cover it and keep it winterized all year long. Then, you’ll stipulate in your lease that the tenant is not permitted to use it. However, tenants will usually want to use the pool and hot tub – that’s probably one of the reasons they’re interested in renting out your home. So, have someone on contract to look after the pool, and include an addendum in your contract stating that if the tenant damages your property or gets injured in the pool or hot tub, you are not liable or responsible for that damage or injury.
If you have any questions about pools and hot tubs in rental properties or anything pertaining to property management in southern Maryland, please contact us at Real Property Management Gold. We serve the entire southern Maryland area, including St. Mary’s, Charles, and Calvert counties, and we’d be happy to help you.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
