Should You Allow Your [Location] Residents to Have A Hot Tub?

If your [location] tenants have asked for permission to get a hot tub, you may be thinking what to tell them. However, tenants who buy and install a hot tub usually cover all the costs and maintenance involved. Yet, getting a hot tub on the property may pose serious risks, most of them may end up with costly repairs, litigation, or more. Before allowing your residents to have a hot tub, it is important first to understand all the risks and benefits that accompany it.

If your property doesn’t already have a hot tub or swimming pool, you may be unsure about agreeing to let your tenant install one. For both of them, a hot tub is far less expensive and requires far less alteration of the property. Then again, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t any implications for your property. For example, most hot tubs required to installed on a concrete pad or another platform, most of which are permanent fixtures. While the padding might be in use while your current tenant is renting the home, what follows when they leave? Will they take the hot tub with them, or leave it behind? If they carry it, are you going to be just fine with an empty concrete pad sitting in your yard? These are all questions you should ask and answer before making a decision.

At the start, you might see an opportunity to allow your tenants to have a hot tub. Adding a hot tub to your rental property can bring an attractive feature for future tenants. You may also be able to charge a higher rent merely by offering either a hot tub pad or a hot tub itself. If your tenant decides to leave the hot tub behind after leaving, you could wind up with a nice little bump in your property values.

However, there are several issues to consider, as well. Hot tubs require quite a lot of maintenance. To keep a hot tub clean and properly maintained, don’t forget to test and adjust the spa water at least twice a week. The spa filter will need to be cleaned once a month, and the entire spa drained, scrubbed, and refilled three or four times a year. The spa cover needs to be removed and aired out twice a week to prevent mold, and the water levels carefully maintained. You may assume your tenant will do all of the upkeep, but what if they don’t? A neglected hot tub could become a serious health hazard, in this situation, it is no longer just your tenant’s problem, but yours as well. If your tenant leaves the hot tub behind, the maintenance – and costs involved – are now your responsibility.

Another thing to consider carefully is the increased risk of injury or death. When used properly, hot tubs are relatively safe. But wet surfaces can result in increased slips and falls, and any tub or pool always carries the risk of drowning. Anybody utilizing the hot tub must be carefully supervised and follow proper safety precautions. Trusting your tenant to do so may seem like too big of a gamble since injuries from misuse could still become your legal nightmare. Additionally, a few tenants may not need a hot tub for these reasons, which will reduce your pool of applicants whenever you need to locate another tenant.

There are many reasons not to allow a hot tub on your [location] rental property. But if you do decide to allow one, at a minimum, it is essential to require a separate agreement to help you mitigate the risks involved. If you want your tenant to remove the hot tub or the concrete pad when they move out, you need to put that in writing, as well. Either way, it is important to have a detailed discussion with your tenant about their request and then communicate your decision afterward.

If you’re managing rental properties in [location] and would like more insight on how to write your lease agreement, the [location] property managers at [Business Name] can help. Contact us online or call us at [phone number] today.