{"id":34181,"date":"2023-03-29T13:27:44","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T11:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cbleon-abogados.com\/who-must-pay-for-repairs-in-rental-housing\/"},"modified":"2023-03-29T13:27:44","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T11:27:44","slug":"who-must-pay-for-repairs-in-rental-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/who-must-pay-for-repairs-in-rental-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"Who must pay for repairs in rental housing?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Determining who should pay for repairs in rental housing is probably one of the most common problems between tenants and landlords.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">If you are thinking of renting a property or have already done so, you may have wondered who is responsible for its repairs. The landlord or the tenant? What does the law say about it? What is considered a necessary repair or a small repair?<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Spanish law establishes certain obligations for both parties regarding the maintenance and repair of the property. In the following, we will try to resolve these and other doubts that may arise on the subject based on the laws in force.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Tabla de Contenidos<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/who-must-pay-for-repairs-in-rental-housing\/#Types_of_home_repairs_according_to_the_law\" >Types of home repairs according to the law<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/who-must-pay-for-repairs-in-rental-housing\/#Home_repairs_are_a_shared_expense\" >Home repairs are a shared expense<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_home_repairs_according_to_the_law\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Types of home repairs according to the law<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Article 21 of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boe.es\/buscar\/act.php?id=BOE-A-1994-26003\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LAU<\/a> defines three types of repairs to a dwelling. Likewise, this article makes clear the responsibility of each party involved during the contract.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">First, the LAU defines the owner of the property as the sole party responsible for maintaining its habitability. This responsibility is also stipulated in the Civil Code, which establishes in its art. 1554.2 that all these repairs will be paid for by the owner.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">According to the law, the costs associated with these works should not have any incidence on the rental value. Habitability refers to the maintenance of walls, ceilings and floors, when damage is not the tenant&#8217;s responsibility, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Damage to floors, walls or roof due to the effects of weather<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any damage caused by force majeure or fortuitous event<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Deterioration caused by natural wear and tear<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Any remodeling or construction work ordered by a competent authority<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">On the other hand, paragraph 4 of the same article establishes a second group of repairs to be paid by the tenant. These are called &#8220;small repairs&#8221; and are those necessary due to wear and tear caused by the natural use of the facilities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">For practical purposes, these cover several elements that may be affected by their constant use, such as, for example:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Blinds<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Locks<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Taps<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Change of light bulbs. Etc.<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, there are other arrangements that may arise when the rental of the property includes furniture and appliances. These are the most controversial, as it is often difficult to prove whose responsibility it is to perform them.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">According to the LAU, ensuring the habitability of a dwelling, including the maintenance of its furnishings, must be borne by the lessor. This applies only if the damage was not caused by mishandling of the appliance by the renter.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_34177\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-34177\" style=\"width: 2000px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-34175 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler.jpg\" alt=\"repairs to rental housing\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler-370x247.jpg 370w, https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/reparaciones-en-una-vivienda-de-alquiler-760x507.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-34177\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">repairs to rental housing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In this regard, the Civil Code makes it clear that, in the event of damage to an appliance, if the tenant is able to prove that it was not his fault, the landlord will be responsible for the expenses.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Home_repairs_are_a_shared_expense\"><\/span><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Home repairs are a shared expense<\/span><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">As you may have seen, Spanish law attributes repairs to a property to the person who is renting it. However, tenants are not exempted from responsibility for maintenance, as long as it is for minor repairs or damage caused by the tenant.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Although the responsibilities are clearly stipulated in the laws in force, on many occasions this point is a matter of controversy among those affected. If you plan to rent or need a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/advice-on-real-estate-law-and-construction\/\">real estate lawyer in Alicante<\/a>, you can contact us and we will gladly answer all your questions.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Determining who should pay for repairs in rental housing is probably one of the most common problems between tenants and landlords. If you are thinking of renting a property or have already done so, you may have wondered who is responsible for its repairs. The landlord or the tenant? What does the law say about it? What is considered a&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":34174,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[170,101],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34181","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-en","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34181","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34181"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34181\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34174"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34181"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34181"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cbleon-abogados.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34181"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}