Home Warranty on Appliances in Rental Property

It is important to remember that Home warranties often have restrictions in them related to appliances that the repair technician assesses as not being maintained properly or neglected. A technician can determine that an appliance was mis used and therefore that is the reason it is disrepair. The Home warranty company can decline to cover the appliance, so keeping track of the maintenance of the appliances and how they are being treated is very important. Even putting a clause in the lease for up to $300.00 in repairs to be covered by the tenant won't help if they abuse every appliance (and this has happened to us) and then leave. It costs much more than that to replace every appliance! Keeping an eye on the appliances in your rental property is essential, and is easier if you live near by. Unfortunately many people who own rental property do not live near by and have to rely on their management company to keep an eye out for their property. We experienced how this did not work some years back, when we had a management company hired when we moved out of the area. For five years all they did was collect the rent, at the end of five years the tenant moved and had neglected major plumbing problems; ruined every appliance in the house; and we found out that the renters children had been using the windows of our house to go in and out and they were damaged as well. This fiasco cost us thousands of dollars and lost rent for several months while we had everything fixed and replaced so we could re rent. It almost did us in!