We just had a tenant urgently request that we come and change the light bulb in the kitchen. This is a new one.

Although we don't have anything in our lease about changing bulbs. Is this something we are responsible for?

This tenant is aware that we are not a rental agency, we own that building which is a triplex and live about 45 minutes away.

How many millennials does it take to change a light bulb?

One to google it, one to look for the app and one to text the landlord. Three.

Just kidding. Love em!!!

Is the light bulb really high in a dangerous place? Is the lightbulb one of those fluorescent tube kind? If not, then no. They are responsible for buying and changing their own lightbulbs.

Actually, I can't say totally that I wouldn't. I'm installing LED only fixtures. That includes can trims and flushmount. There aren't bulbs on those, so if they went bad, I'd change them because it would require changing the whole unit. . If it's common area lighting, I would also take care of those.

Haha! Your joke is very appropriate.

No it's not fluorescent or very high and difficult to reach.

Most of my tenants don't have ladders or step stools to use to get to them.

My lease states: The Renter is responsible for replacing light bulbs, furnace filters and refrigerator water

filter cartridges. The Renter is also responsible for replacing carbon monoxide and

smoke detector batteries for lights and detectors in their living units.

When we go over the lease (together, paragraph by paragraph, and they initial each page) I explain I don't buy their groceries, clothes or other consumables. Light bulbs and batteries are consumables. I've not had any complaints.

Light bulbs wear out due to use. The carton will even have an estimate of the life of the bulb before it wears out.

That fits the definition of a wear & teat item. It wear out simply by usage.

We would and did change the bulbs in the kitchen for

our tenant. Ceilings are 9 ft. tall and renter is

5ft 2 in at best. Circle florescent bulbs not

renter friendly, they plug in at an angle plus

you have to have a ladder. Then the fixture that

comes apart is not user friendly but very pretty. So

we do the changing gladly, don't want it torn up.

Some people have fears of getting on a step stool

ect.

I explain, they are renting a house, not a motel, we don't provide, mints, turn down service, light bulb changes, or toilet unclogging. Or car detailing and if they need a massage or safe space they should try the yellow pages.

LOL. I had one want a bulb replaced. When she requested it I was dealing with a broken pipe, flooded unit and tenant with no water. I told her I would be happy to replace it, but it would be about 2 days before I could get to it.

She told me she was going to buy the building and have me fired.

I do not mind changing light bulbs for my tenants. Would I expect my 92 year old tenant to get up on her 70 year old ladder that wobbles to change a burned out bulb? Would she install a 90 watt bulb to give her more light instead of the maximum allowed by my fixture, 60 watts. The extra wattage would create too much heat directed into the junction box, burning the wire insulation that will lead to a short or fire.

Or when a tenant tries to remove the lens covering my 4 foot florescent light fixtures, cracking it making me have to replace this $100 design fixture.

Do I expect my tenants who don't have a proper ladder to use a chair instead, holding their entire weight -- they could fall or their chair could break, ending in a law suit.

LOL Barbara. "She told me she was going to buy the building and have me fired."

I've never had a tenant ask me to change a light bulb, they just don't bother changing them when they burn out.

I did have a tenant call in the middle of the night wanting me to come over and kill a bug. I live 2.5 hours away. I politely declined that request. This is the same tenant who wanted me to "do something" because she slipped and fell going down an exterior wooden staircase. In summer, so ice and snow were not an issue. Less than an hour after she was complaining about how much pain she was in, I saw her running down the same staircase, phone in one hand and cigarette in the other. No hand on the railing. Wearing slippers.

No great or correct answer for you. But in the kitchen, two-tube fluorescent fixture with frosted plastic lens, they broke the lens. Naturally no replacement available.

I wish they had called me.

I see this is a touchy subject! Haha.

The fixture is not complicated, uses a standard bulb, and can be reached standing on a chair. Ceilings are 8 ft high and the fixture hangs down.

The tenant is in her late 20's and perfectly capable of changing a bulb, if she would have though about it before running for help.

She emailed twice to say it was an urgent manner because it's very dark in her kitchen and she can't cook.

I was a little speachless.

I had a prospectivery tenant applYing for one of my places once and he was complaining about his current landlord (red flag) and he told me,"Im moving because my landlord too 3 days to come over and change the light bulbs I told her had burned out". I told him, "If your landlord is changing light bulbs for you, you are a lucky man. I do not change bulbs ever and when you move you will be charged for every bulb that is not working."

Change bulbs my @ss..... :)

The original question was:

" We just had a tenant urgently request that we come and change the light bulb in the kitchen. This is a new one.

Although we don't have anything in our lease about changing bulbs. Is this something we are responsible for?"

The responses, however, all dealt with with the landlord and what he feels about his responsibility, especially regarding the travel involved and the labor of changing a bulb. The law doesn't seem to matter.

Under most state laws, landlord cannot charge the tenant for the replacement cost of a burned-out light bulb, nor can he deduct such cost from the SD. He must provide a new light bulb to replace the burned out bulb. He must see that the the new bulb is installed and properly, either by himself, his employee or contractor or by the tenant.

Fortunately for us here in CA, the code provides for a way to transfer this responsibility to the tenant, if done properly.

Moshe is actually right on this one. It's a weird, non-intuitive thing but, in general, this is a wear-and-tear item that falls on the landlord (unless you can specify otherwise in your lease). Just no one treats it that way so usually no one cares.

The law is on the side of the tenant in this case. Items that wear out that are installed at the time of rental -- including light bulbs -- are actually up to the landlord to replace.

You'll find plenty of articles from landlords saying that isn't true if you search online. But if you search LAWYER sites about it, you'll find that the law, in general, says that such items are the LL's responsibility.

- John...

Mosha what are you smoking out there in CA? John in MI have they legalized it in MI also.

They don't put in new bulb they live in darkness. My lease -- inspect house on move in all bulbs in place and WORKING. Move out inspection all bulbs in place and WORKING. $15.00 for each bad one-.

Maybe if you were in front of a judge they could say "Hey, LL you should have paid for the light bulbs", but really the LL shouldn't be doing that. What's next, the LL has to pay the gas so the stove can light?

Too many laws as a result of too much nonsense. What happened to common sense?

I suggest you be upfront with the resident and explain you would have to travel an hour and a half round trip to change a light bulb. Then why not see if she can get a friend to do it or walk her through it herself. I happen to think this is sad, she cannot do it, however this is an opportunity to teach her a new skill.

No need to make the resident feel bad or stupid. It creates hard feelings.

I suggest you be upfront with the resident and explain you would have to travel an hour and a half round trip to change a light bulb. Then why not see if she can get a friend to do it or walk her through it herself. I happen to think this is sad, she cannot do it, however this is an opportunity to teach her a new skill.

No need to make the resident feel bad or stupid. It creates hard feelings.