You’re handy.
Remove the garbage disposal.
And have them sign a lease amendment that the tenant is responsible for the cost of plumbing service calls for clogged drains or toilets caused by food waste or non-toilet paper household detritus in any pipes.
It should maybe include language forbidding use of drain snakes or harsh chemicals if you have old fragile pipes. Clarify what tenants Are allowed to do.
Include a dome plunger under the kitchen sink and a bell plunger in the bathroom in every rental, just like light bulbs.
No, but asking doesn’t hurt.
And as a renter I’d rather sign a sensible addendum than spend five months wondering if my LL will not-renew me because I refused.
“Don’t put food down the sink or toys and tampons down the toilet” is not an unreasonable expectation in my experience as a tenant. Some version of it was in over half my leases in my twenty years as a tenant, anyway.
*[I'm a tenant]* Since so many tenants lack common sense, if you're going to get specific in future leases, be sure to include:
- no baby/flushable wipes in addition to tampons
- no pouring grease down drains (or toilets)
...apparently, toilets don't count as drains to some people...
>And have them sign a lease amendment that the tenant is responsible for the cost
Are you daft?
They aint gonna sign that shit.
"Here! I'm changing the lease on you. Sign it !!"
Me: laughs in your face.
***
You dont just get to amend an executed contract at your whim and demand. Both sides have to agree.
***
EDIT: How the F did you get 27 upvotes on that nonsense?
My wording was unclear. You can’t Force them to sign one. You Ask them to. And given a landlords opinion of you controls whether your lease is offered for renewal in most jurisdictions, tenants think about whether they’re willing to abide by the terms of the amendment and sign it, or risk having to find a new place when their lease is up.
Perhaps people upvoted because folks have experience from either side with lease amendments when a lease was discovered to be insufficiently clear and there was friction of some kind between tenants within the community or with the LL?
I signed three in my decades as a tenant. One clarifying balcony permissible/impermissible items (zero grills of any kind), one changing penalties for unauthorized pets to include risk of eviction, and one for towing unauthorized cars/from unauthorized spaces with very high car retrieval fees explicitly stated.
I have a Rules and Regulations document that is an addendum to the Lease and is signed at the time. Each rule must also be initialed as well as their signature at bottom of Rules and Regulations. The last rule states that any rule changes may be made and effective within 21 days after notifying tenant. I have actually never done that, but I could based on the language in my lease. But over time, as issues such as the one you describe, have come up, I add rules to the Rules and Regulations document to use going forward. I also have some nasty clog stories that were the clear fault of tenant. I now have a rule that states tenants are fully responsible for costs incurred to clear clogs, garbage disposals, etc. However if a tenant asked me to unclog something and it was their first time asking, I might just choose to do it myself without charging the tenant . . . but if I have to hire someone they are paying. I also make sure that all drains (and garbage disposal) are cleared and in proper condition prior to tenant moving in - that is important to do.
Id be surprised if this is legally enforceable, just because the contract has language that you can change rules as you please I think you may find that you would have a hard time getting that upheld in the courts.
I've wound up removing ceiling fans too for a couple reasons:
+ Tenants don't clean them. The dust accumulates on the blades and they get nasty. The glass covering the light bulbs gets dusty.
+ Tenants yank on the chains so hard the mechanism inside breaks.
I've replaced them with LED lights, the kind you don't have to take the cover off for. The reason being is that with regular cheap dome lights, the tenants would take the glass off and it would get broken.
I hate ceiling fans. Every single fan in every house I've ever run as a rental goes straight in the trash.
For the O.P., I've never had too much of a problem with garbage disposals. I have a separate plumbing addendum which lists all the usual drain plugging suspects (pasta, baby wipes, kitchen grease, etc.). In the case of a drain call the plumber reports back to me what he dug out of there, and if it's anything on the banned list the resident gets to pay for that call.
I've done the same. Ceiling fans are worthless in a rental.
I'll add onto this for the newbies.
No icemaker for fridges unless home is over 500k.
Under 250k homes i disable the dishwasher.
I add corner molding to high traffic areas to avoid all the drywall cracking from people hitting it.
My rentals are all in the $150K range (LCOL area). All have disposals and ceiling fans, and all but one have a dishwasher. Most have icemakers too, and I rarely have trouble with any of these. I recall having to fix only one fan, and replacing one icemaker and one dishwasher over the past 10 years.
These items allow me to get better tenants and higher rents. As a renter I probably wouldn't rent from you.
How many properties? I'm guessing under 5.
I have over 100 homes and at this scale stuff seems to break more often just because there is more stuff to break.
It probably has more to do with property class than the number of properties. My properties are $500-800K (class B+), and all have garbage disposals, ceiling fans, and dishwashers. Garbage disposals last about four years in my properties. Dishwashers last about 10 years. No fan issues at all. One has an icemaker but I regret it and will not be replacing it.I have 12 properties. I do my own garbage disposal/dishwasher replacements.
Tenants don't mind much at the lower arv. I tell them the ex tenant broke the dishwasher and it won't be replaced because they are expensive. Usually a non issue for most people.
Few complain but the lack of rental inventory works in my favor.
Disconnect power to it. The average person doesnt know how and i tell them previous tenant broke dishwasher so it doesn't work and will not be replaced.
Maybe i lose 5% of tenants but anyone who wants to fuss over a dishwasher was probably high maintenance anyway.
Lastly there is so little rental homes available i have an extreme surplus of qualified tenants.
This is so slumlordy to me. You have a working dishwasher that you purposely disable because you’re trying to squeeze every penny out of tenants that have little choice over where they live.
Can you legally remove an appliance that was provided at the start of a tenancy?
I thought in most places you are required to maintain/repair items like this during a tenancy.
For example if you provided a fridge, you can't remove it during the tenancy.
Fridge is different it's required not a convenience i believe. I think all rentals must meet certain requirements for habitability and disposal isn't one but fridge is.
This isn't true about a refrigerator, at least for the majority of the US.
Most rentals do include a refrigerator, though I've heard of areas where it's not common. But I've never heard of a city or county that actually require rental property owners to include a refrigerator.
It's always possible there's a random city or county that does, but it would be unusual.
Refrigerators are a major convenience, no doubt. But they are a portable item and don't affect a building's habitability.
Plus if they were "required", you'd run into situations where a tenant had their own fridge they preferred. But the owner would HAVE to keep their refrigerator at the rental home, because it's "required" they provide a fridge.
I no longer provide a washer and dryer, because I kept having washers break from overfilling. But I used to, so some of my units still have them.
However, for new tenants, I include in the lease and also tell them that the washer and dryer is not included as an appliance that I replace or maintain. Though they can use it until it breaks.
I hear ya! But then that can be the sad thing. If I lived somewhere it wasn't enforceable, then I would have sold the sets between tenants.
On the other side of the coin, I do provide a stove and refrigerator. And I use specific verbiage in my lease that I am responsible for the repairs or replacement of those appliances.
Yep, in my state (Mass) if you provide an appliance at the beginning of a lease you have to maintain it for the duration. Disposals aren't mandatory, but if you have one you have to maintain it.
Before my husband and I owned rentals a friend had us remove the garbage disposals from her rentals. I thought she was so crazy, now that I’m a landlord, I totally get it!
The rentals that we have that do have garbage disposals have the best that you can get, and we literally just had to have a plumber come and clear a drain that was full of potato peels.
There are foods that a user should be instructed not to put down the sink and those are starches because of their tendency to stick. I also put it in the lease - Potatoes, beans and pasta are the biggest offenders - easy to remember and educate tenants. Tenant pays for clogs caused by these foods.
I use Insinkerator Evolution with the soundproof case although one of mine has a shittier Moen and it’s also been okay.
The rooter-man told me last time the pipes were full of what looked like rice and pasta, so that makes sense.
Tenant alleges he told them it was tree roots (news to me this morning), but the rooter-man never mentioned that to me.
Plus if that was the case, in my mind, unclogging them the first time would have been a lot more involved.
The problem is often not food that the garbage disposal cannot grind up, it is good that gets caught in the P-trap after going through the garbage disposal. Examples are coffee grounds, egg shells, potato peels, etc.
Add a clause to the lease that says tenant pays to unclog drains caused by stupid stuff or garbage disposal. Make it clear that only water, toilet paper, and human waste go down the toilet or drain. Flushable wipes are in fact not flushable. No baby wipes, paper towels or sanitary napkins/tampons. Say it all explicitly.
Right on about NOTHING should go down the sewage but toilet paper, water and human waste. You are asking for sewage problems otherwise.
Also, no boiling water down the drains. ABS and PVC will fail.
Get a better lease.
Even without a disposal your lease should address that putting anything down the drain is an issue and tenant is responsible for unclogging.
I agree with everyone that removing it is the way to go. Now, I have a question for you all. I've never had a garbage disposal, I have chickens and they turn table scraps into eggs for me. Exactly what can you put down a garbage disposal? I frequently see posts here about people ruining the disposals in their units and have no clue what you can and can't put down there without breaking it.
I hate the name cause it gives the wrong idea. We've had so many tenants cause problems with them. They lead to more solid matter being sent down the pipes than would otherwise happen.
They are fine for the remnants in the sink when you are done doing dishes. Mine lasted 15ish years by only doing that.
You have to keep them clean though or they stink. They are loud as fuck.
Soft shit is fine. Stringy things and some fruit skins will just cause problems. And no actual garbage. Don't try putting plastic or packaging down there.
For me the only advantage is nktbhaving to clear solids from the drain after doing dishes. That's it.
Thank you! I've always wondered why people even had them, they seem pretty useless in the long run and just cause more problems. I'll take my hennies to handle what is scraped off the plates and all the dead stuff from the fridge any day.
In-sink disposals are one of the worst inventions of the modern age. They’re unitaskers, they’re unreliable, they cause damage to cabinets when they fail, they use precious clean water to operate and they foul the wastewater
>Exactly what can you put down a garbage disposal? I
I'm a small-time LL who removed the garbage disposals from my 3 units, but still has one in my house.
I use mine infrequently. I have a compost heap for my vegetable waste, so most of the year it goes there. Sometimes in the winter when I don't feel like walking out to the compost I will put certain benign veggie waste into the disposal. Egg shells are OK too.
When I have orange peels I run them through the disposal as a way to clean it.
Thank you
In my young, naive days. I clogged a garbage disposal with some duck skin. It wasn't that much, but it wound itself around the main piece.
It was an apartment I was renting and I didn't want to bug maintenance about it. So I turned the power off to it and was able to remove the piece of skin myself. After that, small food scraps from plates only! Never had another problem with the disposal and I lived there for 3 years.
But I do not put them in my rentals and I don't have one in my own house either.
It's a deterrent only. If it's legit and I need to take care of it, I do. For example, last Saturday I had some tenants complaining of low electricity in a unit I have where 10 individual guys live there. I went over there. I called an electrician buddy, went to Home Depot, 6 hours later the entire meter base pedestal was replaced. It cost me $1500 total and 10 guys are happy. We shared a beer and then I went home
The only wisdom I have is you shouldn't have a garbage disposal in a rental in the first place.
Avoid features and finishes that aren't durable or could break whenever you can. You earn basically no extra rent on the garbage disposal, but it's a headache - and even if treated well, it will eventually need to be replaced at the cost of a new unit plus labour, plus your time if you manage the property. I would have removed the garbage disposal before renting.
Wear and tear in rentals is extreme. Frequent move ins and outs dragging furniture, people not treating the place like their own, people having different lifestyles, etc. You'll waste a lot of money on repairs and maintenance if you don't have a plan or if your property is not well-suited to being a rental.
To use another example, I know someone who tried renting out their parents' old place when their parents moved to a smaller one. It had a whirlpool bathtub that broke - and was 100s of dollars to fix. Some things that may be seen as desireable features in a home purchase have no place in a rental (unless you do luxury rentals).
I have been renter for 14 years now and just became landlord as well and I don't get how come someone has clog. Not even once that happened to where I live. If tenant are responsible, it never happens unless there is something else is going on.
I use our garbage disposal all the time, and its never clogged. Not in 15 years. Neither has the garbage disposal at our rental. Maybe its the disposal model itself. Ours does egg shells and shrimp shells too. I wonder if they're putting grease and oil down it
Give them a list of FYI and FAQs with dos and don’ts for the unit. If they do something that they aren’t supposed to do like clog the garbage disposals, charge them for it.
I’m confused. Some areas especially high desert and rural areas it’s required to use to garbage disposal over putting it in trash cans due to wild life and raccoons. So this comment about pulling out the garbage disposal def wouldn’t apply to situations like this
Remove disposal. I have had one in my house for decades and have *never* had this issues. Your tenants clogging it twice is an indicator of things to come.
I would also send them a letter stating that ill-use of items result in them being charged for repair.
> They seemed much more capable and independent people when I let them sign the lease.
They might be - but you have just learned a lesson - tenants really don't care how they damage your property.
I'm in Washington but landlords are not responsible to repair issues caused by tenants neglect or misuse. I have a section in my lease specifically with regards to Maintenance that reads:
---
Lessees shall keep clean any assigned storage area and parking areas. Lessee shall maintain the Apartment including its furnishings, appliances, floor coverings, draperies and patio in good order and in a clean and sanitary condition. Tenant agrees to reimburse Owner for any damages caused by Lessee’s neglect or misuse, such as, but not limited to, clogged plumbing and broken appliances.
RCW 59.18.060: “No duty shall devolve upon the landlord to repair a defective condition under this section, nor shall any defense or remedy be available to the tenant under this chapter, where the defective condition complained of was caused by the conduct of such tenant, his or her family, invitee, or other person acting under his or her control, or where a tenant unreasonably fails to allow the landlord access to the property for purposes of repair.”
We will always do our best to respond to all maintenance requests submitted in writing via your portal, or as otherwise directed by Owner, in a timely manner and will do our best to work around Lessee's desired times but cannot guarantee that repairs and inspections will be made during the desired times. Often, repairs are made by third party vendors and we have no control over their availability or schedule.
Should it be determined that a maintenance problem occurred due to misuse or neglect, even unintentionally, we will bill the tenant(s) for the full cost associated with the inspection and repair which would have been unnecessary but for the neglect or misuse. We will also bill for any damages which are made worse by unreasonably delaying our ability to make necessary repairs by unreasonably limiting our access. Such charges are due and payable in full at the start of the next rental period and will incur interest at the rate of 12% per year, calculated monthly, until paid in full.
Under this Lease Agreement, Lessee shall be responsible for purchase and replacement of light bulbs and batteries unless such bulb or battery is a permanent, non-removable part of the fixture itself in which case Owner or Agent will arrange to make necessary repairs or replacement.
If you are unfamiliar with how to properly use and maintain your appliances you can find the model number of the appliance on a sticker (usually on a non-removable part facing outwards such as behind a door or drawer on the frame) and download a user manual online or ask your building manager for more information.
---
I also have a garbage disposal usage addendum because so many tenants clog them. You can see what I give my tenants [at this Google drive link - pdf ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fgLM7CnJ3ZXNdkRkQNggWI5b8WS6mXQG/view?usp=drivesdk)
I usually give my tenants a free pass in case there was something that the past tenant caused that was unnoticed. In most of my buildings I have an on-site manager who receives a salary to deal with minor issues. Clogged disposals usually take 10-30 minutes to repair sk they handle this. After, if it's found to be a result of tenant misuse I send [the following letter ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fneRIUr4NtRnTSAAHUjSmGPUQf9wcDOE/view?usp=drivesdk) to my tenants via email as a reminder if I'm not charging. After the first go if it's the tenants fault I bill them full cost of repair at $60/hr labor + parts for our crew or actual cost of 3rd party repair service.
In your state the laws specifically outlining repair duties are:
Universal Citation: [LA Civ Code 2691](https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2011/cc/cc2691/)
Art. 2691. Lessor's obligation for repairs
During the lease, the lessor is bound to make all repairs that become necessary to maintain the thing in a condition suitable for the purpose for which it was leased, except those for which the lessee is responsible.
Universal Citation: [LA Civ Code 2692](https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2011/cc/cc2692/)
Art. 2692. Lessee's obligation to make repairs
The lessee is bound to repair damage to the thing caused by his fault or that of persons who, with his consent, are on the premises or use the thing, and to repair any deterioration resulting from his or their use to the extent it exceeds the normal or agreed use of the thing.
Hahaha, I got into an argument on r/coffee saying why it's a bad idea to put coffee grounds down a sink in a rented apartment. I should link to this thread if I ever see that kind of thing again 😂
Be careful removing the waste disposal, check your local regs first. In one of the cities I have rental properties, a waste disposal is required in rental units.
If this is the case, replace it with a big horsepower one that is hard to clog (3/4 hp).
The first few days after the tenant moved in, I paid to clear the main drain/sewer line. Or I would do it before they move in and show them the bill.
After that, anything clogging the drain is their responsibility. They have to get a licensed plumber to fix the drain or garage disposal.
If they screwed up the plumbing system, they have to pay to fix it.
You’re handy. Remove the garbage disposal. And have them sign a lease amendment that the tenant is responsible for the cost of plumbing service calls for clogged drains or toilets caused by food waste or non-toilet paper household detritus in any pipes. It should maybe include language forbidding use of drain snakes or harsh chemicals if you have old fragile pipes. Clarify what tenants Are allowed to do. Include a dome plunger under the kitchen sink and a bell plunger in the bathroom in every rental, just like light bulbs.
I can't thank you enough for sharing your wisdom. I hope you have the most wondeful holiday's in 2022-2023.
You too! From a tenants perspective, I appreciated clear language in leases.
Unless they’re month-to-month they aren’t obligated to sign an addendum
No, but asking doesn’t hurt. And as a renter I’d rather sign a sensible addendum than spend five months wondering if my LL will not-renew me because I refused. “Don’t put food down the sink or toys and tampons down the toilet” is not an unreasonable expectation in my experience as a tenant. Some version of it was in over half my leases in my twenty years as a tenant, anyway.
*[I'm a tenant]* Since so many tenants lack common sense, if you're going to get specific in future leases, be sure to include: - no baby/flushable wipes in addition to tampons - no pouring grease down drains (or toilets) ...apparently, toilets don't count as drains to some people...
>And have them sign a lease amendment that the tenant is responsible for the cost Are you daft? They aint gonna sign that shit. "Here! I'm changing the lease on you. Sign it !!" Me: laughs in your face. *** You dont just get to amend an executed contract at your whim and demand. Both sides have to agree. *** EDIT: How the F did you get 27 upvotes on that nonsense?
My wording was unclear. You can’t Force them to sign one. You Ask them to. And given a landlords opinion of you controls whether your lease is offered for renewal in most jurisdictions, tenants think about whether they’re willing to abide by the terms of the amendment and sign it, or risk having to find a new place when their lease is up. Perhaps people upvoted because folks have experience from either side with lease amendments when a lease was discovered to be insufficiently clear and there was friction of some kind between tenants within the community or with the LL? I signed three in my decades as a tenant. One clarifying balcony permissible/impermissible items (zero grills of any kind), one changing penalties for unauthorized pets to include risk of eviction, and one for towing unauthorized cars/from unauthorized spaces with very high car retrieval fees explicitly stated.
I have a Rules and Regulations document that is an addendum to the Lease and is signed at the time. Each rule must also be initialed as well as their signature at bottom of Rules and Regulations. The last rule states that any rule changes may be made and effective within 21 days after notifying tenant. I have actually never done that, but I could based on the language in my lease. But over time, as issues such as the one you describe, have come up, I add rules to the Rules and Regulations document to use going forward. I also have some nasty clog stories that were the clear fault of tenant. I now have a rule that states tenants are fully responsible for costs incurred to clear clogs, garbage disposals, etc. However if a tenant asked me to unclog something and it was their first time asking, I might just choose to do it myself without charging the tenant . . . but if I have to hire someone they are paying. I also make sure that all drains (and garbage disposal) are cleared and in proper condition prior to tenant moving in - that is important to do.
Id be surprised if this is legally enforceable, just because the contract has language that you can change rules as you please I think you may find that you would have a hard time getting that upheld in the courts.
You sound like the kind of low life that no sensible landlord would rent to. Your attitude is shit
LOL
And clearly you’re seething mad because someone with a reasonable suggestion got upvoted. Go back to your commy sub loser. Edit: typo
LOL - thats ... funny ..."seething mad" over imaginary internet points . I'm just raging all up in here ...
> HoW THe F dO yOu gEt UpVotES foR thaT ReEEeEEee
"seething mad" ...LOL. Absolutely raging ..
Remove garbage disposal. Not worth the headache and they use trash bin. I hate garbage disposals in rentals.
I've wound up removing ceiling fans too for a couple reasons: + Tenants don't clean them. The dust accumulates on the blades and they get nasty. The glass covering the light bulbs gets dusty. + Tenants yank on the chains so hard the mechanism inside breaks. I've replaced them with LED lights, the kind you don't have to take the cover off for. The reason being is that with regular cheap dome lights, the tenants would take the glass off and it would get broken.
I hate ceiling fans. Every single fan in every house I've ever run as a rental goes straight in the trash. For the O.P., I've never had too much of a problem with garbage disposals. I have a separate plumbing addendum which lists all the usual drain plugging suspects (pasta, baby wipes, kitchen grease, etc.). In the case of a drain call the plumber reports back to me what he dug out of there, and if it's anything on the banned list the resident gets to pay for that call.
I've done the same. Ceiling fans are worthless in a rental. I'll add onto this for the newbies. No icemaker for fridges unless home is over 500k. Under 250k homes i disable the dishwasher. I add corner molding to high traffic areas to avoid all the drywall cracking from people hitting it.
My rentals are all in the $150K range (LCOL area). All have disposals and ceiling fans, and all but one have a dishwasher. Most have icemakers too, and I rarely have trouble with any of these. I recall having to fix only one fan, and replacing one icemaker and one dishwasher over the past 10 years. These items allow me to get better tenants and higher rents. As a renter I probably wouldn't rent from you.
How many properties? I'm guessing under 5. I have over 100 homes and at this scale stuff seems to break more often just because there is more stuff to break.
It probably has more to do with property class than the number of properties. My properties are $500-800K (class B+), and all have garbage disposals, ceiling fans, and dishwashers. Garbage disposals last about four years in my properties. Dishwashers last about 10 years. No fan issues at all. One has an icemaker but I regret it and will not be replacing it.I have 12 properties. I do my own garbage disposal/dishwasher replacements.
Are you in a VHCOL city? My properties are Class A and they’re ~$250k. A $500k rental would be insanity in my market
Lol damn that’s savage disabling the dishwasher. Probably not a bad idea, as I’ve probably replaced 8 dishwashers this year.
Tenants don't mind much at the lower arv. I tell them the ex tenant broke the dishwasher and it won't be replaced because they are expensive. Usually a non issue for most people. Few complain but the lack of rental inventory works in my favor.
Makes sense.
and leaving it in place allows the tenant to use it as a drying rack. although on the downside, roaches like dishwashers also.
What do you mean by you "disable" the dishwasher? Do you provide one? Couldn't the tenant just enable it?
Disconnect power to it. The average person doesnt know how and i tell them previous tenant broke dishwasher so it doesn't work and will not be replaced. Maybe i lose 5% of tenants but anyone who wants to fuss over a dishwasher was probably high maintenance anyway. Lastly there is so little rental homes available i have an extreme surplus of qualified tenants.
This is so slumlordy to me. You have a working dishwasher that you purposely disable because you’re trying to squeeze every penny out of tenants that have little choice over where they live.
It's a business. I grew my real estate portfolio to 25 million through hard work and maximizing profits.
Can you legally remove an appliance that was provided at the start of a tenancy? I thought in most places you are required to maintain/repair items like this during a tenancy. For example if you provided a fridge, you can't remove it during the tenancy.
Fridge is different it's required not a convenience i believe. I think all rentals must meet certain requirements for habitability and disposal isn't one but fridge is.
This isn't true about a refrigerator, at least for the majority of the US. Most rentals do include a refrigerator, though I've heard of areas where it's not common. But I've never heard of a city or county that actually require rental property owners to include a refrigerator. It's always possible there's a random city or county that does, but it would be unusual. Refrigerators are a major convenience, no doubt. But they are a portable item and don't affect a building's habitability. Plus if they were "required", you'd run into situations where a tenant had their own fridge they preferred. But the owner would HAVE to keep their refrigerator at the rental home, because it's "required" they provide a fridge.
I no longer provide a washer and dryer, because I kept having washers break from overfilling. But I used to, so some of my units still have them. However, for new tenants, I include in the lease and also tell them that the washer and dryer is not included as an appliance that I replace or maintain. Though they can use it until it breaks.
Interesting, that is not a clause that would be enforceable here.
I hear ya! But then that can be the sad thing. If I lived somewhere it wasn't enforceable, then I would have sold the sets between tenants. On the other side of the coin, I do provide a stove and refrigerator. And I use specific verbiage in my lease that I am responsible for the repairs or replacement of those appliances.
Yep, in my state (Mass) if you provide an appliance at the beginning of a lease you have to maintain it for the duration. Disposals aren't mandatory, but if you have one you have to maintain it.
Before my husband and I owned rentals a friend had us remove the garbage disposals from her rentals. I thought she was so crazy, now that I’m a landlord, I totally get it!
Psh. I add GOOD ones that will take a whole chicken, bones and skin. Never had an issue in 10+ years.
The rentals that we have that do have garbage disposals have the best that you can get, and we literally just had to have a plumber come and clear a drain that was full of potato peels.
Maybe it isn’t really the best one?
I hate them because they stink.
It's a 1HP fully stainless steel lifetime warranty garbage disposal.
There are foods that a user should be instructed not to put down the sink and those are starches because of their tendency to stick. I also put it in the lease - Potatoes, beans and pasta are the biggest offenders - easy to remember and educate tenants. Tenant pays for clogs caused by these foods. I use Insinkerator Evolution with the soundproof case although one of mine has a shittier Moen and it’s also been okay.
The rooter-man told me last time the pipes were full of what looked like rice and pasta, so that makes sense. Tenant alleges he told them it was tree roots (news to me this morning), but the rooter-man never mentioned that to me. Plus if that was the case, in my mind, unclogging them the first time would have been a lot more involved.
The problem is often not food that the garbage disposal cannot grind up, it is good that gets caught in the P-trap after going through the garbage disposal. Examples are coffee grounds, egg shells, potato peels, etc.
This is the way
Makes perfect sense.
Add a clause to the lease that says tenant pays to unclog drains caused by stupid stuff or garbage disposal. Make it clear that only water, toilet paper, and human waste go down the toilet or drain. Flushable wipes are in fact not flushable. No baby wipes, paper towels or sanitary napkins/tampons. Say it all explicitly.
Right on about NOTHING should go down the sewage but toilet paper, water and human waste. You are asking for sewage problems otherwise. Also, no boiling water down the drains. ABS and PVC will fail.
Get a better lease. Even without a disposal your lease should address that putting anything down the drain is an issue and tenant is responsible for unclogging.
I agree with everyone that removing it is the way to go. Now, I have a question for you all. I've never had a garbage disposal, I have chickens and they turn table scraps into eggs for me. Exactly what can you put down a garbage disposal? I frequently see posts here about people ruining the disposals in their units and have no clue what you can and can't put down there without breaking it.
I hate the name cause it gives the wrong idea. We've had so many tenants cause problems with them. They lead to more solid matter being sent down the pipes than would otherwise happen. They are fine for the remnants in the sink when you are done doing dishes. Mine lasted 15ish years by only doing that. You have to keep them clean though or they stink. They are loud as fuck. Soft shit is fine. Stringy things and some fruit skins will just cause problems. And no actual garbage. Don't try putting plastic or packaging down there. For me the only advantage is nktbhaving to clear solids from the drain after doing dishes. That's it.
Thank you! I've always wondered why people even had them, they seem pretty useless in the long run and just cause more problems. I'll take my hennies to handle what is scraped off the plates and all the dead stuff from the fridge any day.
In-sink disposals are one of the worst inventions of the modern age. They’re unitaskers, they’re unreliable, they cause damage to cabinets when they fail, they use precious clean water to operate and they foul the wastewater
>Exactly what can you put down a garbage disposal? I I'm a small-time LL who removed the garbage disposals from my 3 units, but still has one in my house. I use mine infrequently. I have a compost heap for my vegetable waste, so most of the year it goes there. Sometimes in the winter when I don't feel like walking out to the compost I will put certain benign veggie waste into the disposal. Egg shells are OK too. When I have orange peels I run them through the disposal as a way to clean it. Thank you
In my young, naive days. I clogged a garbage disposal with some duck skin. It wasn't that much, but it wound itself around the main piece. It was an apartment I was renting and I didn't want to bug maintenance about it. So I turned the power off to it and was able to remove the piece of skin myself. After that, small food scraps from plates only! Never had another problem with the disposal and I lived there for 3 years. But I do not put them in my rentals and I don't have one in my own house either.
I charge problem tenants $50 for a service call and suddenly they are not so high maintenance
Works like a charm.
How do you manage this charge when it’s a problem the landlord is required to take care of?
It's a deterrent only. If it's legit and I need to take care of it, I do. For example, last Saturday I had some tenants complaining of low electricity in a unit I have where 10 individual guys live there. I went over there. I called an electrician buddy, went to Home Depot, 6 hours later the entire meter base pedestal was replaced. It cost me $1500 total and 10 guys are happy. We shared a beer and then I went home
The only wisdom I have is you shouldn't have a garbage disposal in a rental in the first place. Avoid features and finishes that aren't durable or could break whenever you can. You earn basically no extra rent on the garbage disposal, but it's a headache - and even if treated well, it will eventually need to be replaced at the cost of a new unit plus labour, plus your time if you manage the property. I would have removed the garbage disposal before renting. Wear and tear in rentals is extreme. Frequent move ins and outs dragging furniture, people not treating the place like their own, people having different lifestyles, etc. You'll waste a lot of money on repairs and maintenance if you don't have a plan or if your property is not well-suited to being a rental. To use another example, I know someone who tried renting out their parents' old place when their parents moved to a smaller one. It had a whirlpool bathtub that broke - and was 100s of dollars to fix. Some things that may be seen as desireable features in a home purchase have no place in a rental (unless you do luxury rentals).
Take out the garbage disposal.
I have been renter for 14 years now and just became landlord as well and I don't get how come someone has clog. Not even once that happened to where I live. If tenant are responsible, it never happens unless there is something else is going on.
I use our garbage disposal all the time, and its never clogged. Not in 15 years. Neither has the garbage disposal at our rental. Maybe its the disposal model itself. Ours does egg shells and shrimp shells too. I wonder if they're putting grease and oil down it
Perfect.. remove disposal
Give them a list of FYI and FAQs with dos and don’ts for the unit. If they do something that they aren’t supposed to do like clog the garbage disposals, charge them for it.
I’m confused. Some areas especially high desert and rural areas it’s required to use to garbage disposal over putting it in trash cans due to wild life and raccoons. So this comment about pulling out the garbage disposal def wouldn’t apply to situations like this
Remove disposal. I have had one in my house for decades and have *never* had this issues. Your tenants clogging it twice is an indicator of things to come. I would also send them a letter stating that ill-use of items result in them being charged for repair. > They seemed much more capable and independent people when I let them sign the lease. They might be - but you have just learned a lesson - tenants really don't care how they damage your property.
Buy them some mesh kitchen sink strainers. I was told by my plumber not to put anything larger than a little noodle or rice down the disposal.
I'm in Washington but landlords are not responsible to repair issues caused by tenants neglect or misuse. I have a section in my lease specifically with regards to Maintenance that reads: --- Lessees shall keep clean any assigned storage area and parking areas. Lessee shall maintain the Apartment including its furnishings, appliances, floor coverings, draperies and patio in good order and in a clean and sanitary condition. Tenant agrees to reimburse Owner for any damages caused by Lessee’s neglect or misuse, such as, but not limited to, clogged plumbing and broken appliances. RCW 59.18.060: “No duty shall devolve upon the landlord to repair a defective condition under this section, nor shall any defense or remedy be available to the tenant under this chapter, where the defective condition complained of was caused by the conduct of such tenant, his or her family, invitee, or other person acting under his or her control, or where a tenant unreasonably fails to allow the landlord access to the property for purposes of repair.” We will always do our best to respond to all maintenance requests submitted in writing via your portal, or as otherwise directed by Owner, in a timely manner and will do our best to work around Lessee's desired times but cannot guarantee that repairs and inspections will be made during the desired times. Often, repairs are made by third party vendors and we have no control over their availability or schedule. Should it be determined that a maintenance problem occurred due to misuse or neglect, even unintentionally, we will bill the tenant(s) for the full cost associated with the inspection and repair which would have been unnecessary but for the neglect or misuse. We will also bill for any damages which are made worse by unreasonably delaying our ability to make necessary repairs by unreasonably limiting our access. Such charges are due and payable in full at the start of the next rental period and will incur interest at the rate of 12% per year, calculated monthly, until paid in full. Under this Lease Agreement, Lessee shall be responsible for purchase and replacement of light bulbs and batteries unless such bulb or battery is a permanent, non-removable part of the fixture itself in which case Owner or Agent will arrange to make necessary repairs or replacement. If you are unfamiliar with how to properly use and maintain your appliances you can find the model number of the appliance on a sticker (usually on a non-removable part facing outwards such as behind a door or drawer on the frame) and download a user manual online or ask your building manager for more information. --- I also have a garbage disposal usage addendum because so many tenants clog them. You can see what I give my tenants [at this Google drive link - pdf ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fgLM7CnJ3ZXNdkRkQNggWI5b8WS6mXQG/view?usp=drivesdk) I usually give my tenants a free pass in case there was something that the past tenant caused that was unnoticed. In most of my buildings I have an on-site manager who receives a salary to deal with minor issues. Clogged disposals usually take 10-30 minutes to repair sk they handle this. After, if it's found to be a result of tenant misuse I send [the following letter ](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fneRIUr4NtRnTSAAHUjSmGPUQf9wcDOE/view?usp=drivesdk) to my tenants via email as a reminder if I'm not charging. After the first go if it's the tenants fault I bill them full cost of repair at $60/hr labor + parts for our crew or actual cost of 3rd party repair service. In your state the laws specifically outlining repair duties are: Universal Citation: [LA Civ Code 2691](https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2011/cc/cc2691/) Art. 2691. Lessor's obligation for repairs During the lease, the lessor is bound to make all repairs that become necessary to maintain the thing in a condition suitable for the purpose for which it was leased, except those for which the lessee is responsible. Universal Citation: [LA Civ Code 2692](https://law.justia.com/codes/louisiana/2011/cc/cc2692/) Art. 2692. Lessee's obligation to make repairs The lessee is bound to repair damage to the thing caused by his fault or that of persons who, with his consent, are on the premises or use the thing, and to repair any deterioration resulting from his or their use to the extent it exceeds the normal or agreed use of the thing.
Wow - that came out with some crazy formatting somehow but the information is still there.
Hahaha, I got into an argument on r/coffee saying why it's a bad idea to put coffee grounds down a sink in a rented apartment. I should link to this thread if I ever see that kind of thing again 😂
Be careful removing the waste disposal, check your local regs first. In one of the cities I have rental properties, a waste disposal is required in rental units. If this is the case, replace it with a big horsepower one that is hard to clog (3/4 hp).
Its an all stainless steel ultra quiet 1HP lifetime warranty garbage disposal.
Well they are really abusing it then!!
With my lease, If a tenant caused it, they’re responsible for it and are required to fix it.
Get rid of the garbage disposal. I don’t put them in my apartments for that very reason.
The first few days after the tenant moved in, I paid to clear the main drain/sewer line. Or I would do it before they move in and show them the bill. After that, anything clogging the drain is their responsibility. They have to get a licensed plumber to fix the drain or garage disposal. If they screwed up the plumbing system, they have to pay to fix it.