As a landlord, if you choose to maintain the sprinkler system for the tenant you're in for a real time suck. We've found it very effective to have our tenants maintain the sprinkler systems at their expense. The parts are nickel and dime parts, but the time it takes to make the trip to do the 15 minute job is a real time consumer. I was finding that most sprinkler repairs were the result of the tenant's children playing, and/or a driver running roughshod over a sprinkler.
One of the many line items in our custom addendum is the 'sprinkler clause!' For several years now we have had our tenants sign and agree to maintain the sprinklers. Like mentioned earlier, the parts are minimal, so it's just a matter of time. Because the tenant lives on location, the time is miniscule compared to the time I would need to inspect the repair, go to the store (if needed) to buy the part, return to repair the broken part, then return home again. All the aforementioned steps can easily be accomplished by your tenant as they run errands on a weekend, of which leaves them with a mere 15 minutes to repair the broken section. At times, if the part is an expensive one, like the timer or valve, we've reimbursed the tenant for the part.
I be Joe Lane, the co-owner of The Lane Real Estate Team. The other owner, my beloved wife Colleen, wants nothing to do with the property management side of the real estate business. With five children still at home, I don't blame her. You can call me most anytime at 509.308.5513 | Don't mess with a bald dude!
