2. Who pays the bills

It is common practice for the tenant to pay the utility charges (i.e. water, electricity, sewerage charges) while the landlord will bear the management fees. To avoid any confusion/dispute, it is prudent for you to state clearly that your tenant should promptly pay the utility charges within a certain period (usually 14 days) upon receiving the relevant bills.

3. Maintenance of the property

The tenant is usually responsible for maintaining the fixtures and fittings of the property (subject to fair wear and tear), while the landlord will maintain the structure (i.e. walls, drains, roof) of the property in reasonable and tenantable condition. You should list down the furniture, household appliances and all other items which you have provided in the property and ask the tenant to confirm the good condition of these items. Make it clear in the tenancy agreement that the tenant is responsible for maintaining the good condition of these items (subject to fair wear and tear).

4. Restore and return the property

You should ensure that it is written in the agreement the tenant shall restore the property to its original good and tenantable condition and return the keys of the property to you upon the expiry/early termination of the agreement.

5. Empower yourself with self-help remedy

You can state in the agreement that if your tenant fails to perform his obligations within a reasonable period, you are entitled to carry out his obligations at his cost and expense. As such, you shall be entitled to fix the damages, restore the unit, pay the outstanding bills and deduct the same from security/utility deposits.

Last but not least, you should take photos and record the original condition of your property and furniture before handing over your unit to the tenant. In the event of a dispute, you may use these photos as proof and justification in your favour.

This article was edited by the editorial team of advbombmedia.com. To contact them about this or other stories email enquiry@advbomb.com