Can a Tenant Make Improvements Without Landlord Permission?
The typical course of action is that a tenant will ask permission to do X, Y, or Z to your rental property at their own expense. This could be as mundane as painting the walls a different color to reflooring the entire unit. As the property owner, you have every right to consider the proposal and approve or deny it. Though, we generally recommend accepting improvements that add or maintain value or are easily reverted.
But what if the tenant makes improvements or repairs without your permission… what are your obligations? Save for a very few specific caveats, the tenant may not make alterations or repairs without your explicit permission. And, if they do, they are not entitled to reimbursement through any means.
The California Association of Realtors lease we utilize plainly states, “…without Landlord's prior written consent, (i) Tenant shall not make any repairs, alterations or improvements in or about the Premises […]; (ii) Landlord shall not be responsible for the costs of alterations or repairs made by Tenant; (iii) Tenant shall not deduct from Rent the costs of any repairs, alterations or improvements; and (iv) any deduction made by Tenant shall be considered unpaid Rent.”
Contact 24 Hour Property Management, Inc.
If you any questions about your obligations to your tenant, legal or moral, or any other question related to property management, please contact us so that we can answer your questions and advise you. You can reach us seven days a week at 949-409-8585 or you can check us out on the web at 24hourpm.com.