Renting a home — apartment, condo, townhouse or single family — is the first real estate transaction for many residents. About one third of residents in the U.S. are still tenants in a country dominated by homeownership at 67 percent. The Deed of Lease lays out the responsibilities and rights of both the landlord and the tenant. Even though a landlord owns the property, some of his or her rights to the property are limited once the house is rented to another person. While he may have the right to enter the property as the owner, for instance, it’s not at will. Most leases spell out how the landlord may gain access to the house.

The Landlord Maintenance clause makes it clear that the landlord is to keep the property in good repair and “tenantable” condition. Pretty much that means keep the appliances working, plumbing flowing and electricity safe. Equally important is the Tenant Obligations clause, which stipulates that while the landlord is there to keep the house tenantable, the tenant is supposed to take care of the daily routine stuff, such as: use appliances as directed; furnish and replace light bulbs; maintaining caulk around tubs and showers; and promptly reporting in writing any defects, damage or breakage. If a tenant does the notification and the landlord doesn’t fix it, there may be the opportunity for the tenant to institute the “repair and deduct” regulations in the state to repair the unit and deduct those repairs from the rent.

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