19 May Is roof maintenance falling through the cracks of your lease agreement?
Many Australian businesses will lease their space from a landlord rather than buy the building outright. In this situation, structural maintenance like roof repairs will usually be the responsibility of the building owner, while responsibility for daily wear and tear will fall to the tenant.
However, that doesn’t mean that occupants can rest on their laurels – it’s important businesses keep a weather eye on any maintenance issues that might arise with their roof.
That’s because there will occasionally be situations where it isn’t clear whether the landlord is responsible or the tenant. For a tenant, it’s important to make sure they have it spelt out in their contract where the responsibility for repairing a roof lies.
It’s also worth considering who is responsible for maintenance work that might prevent a bigger issue further down the line. If there are trees on a property that might fill the gutters with leaves, for example, this will need to be taken care of as part of a maintenance plan.
A business that is leasing a space will also need to regularly inspect their premises, even if the legal responsibility for roof maintenance lies with the landlord. As the people who are on site every day, it’s much easier for a business to detect any issues that a landlord may not be aware of. Calling in the experts at this point can also help identify a problem early so that it is quickly addressed by the landlord.
Finally, every time your business moves, it’s important to have the new space inspected for maintenance issues. If your business has a lot of important or delicate equipment, you will want to be sure the building is in good shape before you move in.
Building maintenance is just one part of a good lease and is something every business and landlord needs to invest time in. At R&BSs, our team are experts at inspecting a roof, diagnosing any problems that arise and then fixing them promptly. For landlords and commercial tenants, having our skills on call can make a big difference when keeping a building safe and water-tight.