# Repairs in a Rental Property – Who Pays and How to Handle Them Efficiently

> Burst pipe, broken boiler, failed appliance. Landlords who manage maintenance by text message will eventually lose track of something. See how SmartRentier organises requests, contractors and repair costs.

Published: 2026-04-24
Updated: 2026-08-26
Source: https://smartrentier.com/blog/managing-repairs-and-maintenance-requests-in-rental
Tags: Management

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A burst pipe, a broken washing machine, the heating failing mid-winter. Every landlord eventually gets a message that something is broken. The question is: do you know who is responsible — and can you respond quickly enough to stop a small problem becoming a large one?

## What the Landlord Fixes, What the Tenant Fixes

The law makes a clear distinction. **The landlord is responsible** for keeping the property fit for its intended use: the plumbing, electrical and heating systems, the roof, structure and other building elements. **The tenant is responsible** for minor repairs from normal use: replacing light bulbs, fixing dripping taps caused by wear, redecorating at the end of the tenancy.

In practice the line can be disputed — especially for damage that could have resulted either from tenant misuse or from natural wear and tear. Good documentation protects both parties: a [handover report describing the condition of every room](https://smartrentier.com/blog/handover-report-what-must-it-contain) establishes the starting point, and the maintenance history shows what happened next.

## The Problem Without a System: Lost Requests

The tenant texts about a leak. The landlord replies that they will sort it. A week passes, nothing happens. Another message. The landlord cannot find the plumber's number. The plumber visits — but the landlord has no record of whether or when the issue was resolved.

This plays out daily for landlords managing maintenance by phone. The problem is not the fault itself but the channel — texts and calls carry no status and no history, as covered in the article on [tenant communication without chaos](https://smartrentier.com/blog/tenant-communication-without-chaos). Every request is a separate thread that is easy to lose. A lost request means a potential dispute with the tenant — and an escalating problem.

## The Maintenance Module in SmartRentier

Every maintenance request enters the system as a separate record with a status: **New → In progress → Completed**. Tenants submit issues through the [tenant panel](https://smartrentier.com/funkcjonalnosci/panel-najemcy) — with a description, photos and the date reported. The landlord sees all open requests in one place, without scrolling through message histories.

**Assigning to a contractor** — from your built-in contact directory you select the right tradesperson for the type of work and location. The contractor contact, visit date and repair outcome are recorded in the request history.

**Maintenance history** — every property has a complete record of requests and repairs. When a tenant reports "the bathroom tap is leaking again" — you can see when the last report was made, who fixed it and what was done.

Running alongside reported faults are the deadlines nobody reports, because they follow from regulations rather than breakdowns — [mandatory technical inspections](https://smartrentier.com/blog/mandatory-technical-inspections-rental-property) are best kept in the same calendar as maintenance, so an installation check does not collide with a burst pipe.

**Cost tracking** — the cost of each repair is assigned to the property. After a year you can see which flat generates the most maintenance costs — valuable information when deciding whether to renovate or sell.

## Contractor Directory – No More Searching in a Panic

SmartRentier lets you build your own catalogue of trusted tradespeople: plumber, electrician, locksmith, cleaning company — organised by type of work and location. When a pipe bursts at 10pm, you know exactly who to call without scrolling through a year of old text messages.

## Documentation That Protects You

Photos attached to the report, dates of intervention, repair confirmations — this documentation matters in any dispute with a tenant or insurer. The system stores it automatically, without separate folders or filing.

**Manage maintenance without the chaos** — start for free, no card. All requests in one place, repair history accessible at any time. The Kawalerka plan is free forever.

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PL: https://smartrentier.com/blog/zglaszanie-i-zarzadzanie-usterkami-w-wynajmie.md