Are you a landlord in Cambridge? Whether you manage a large apartment complex or rent out a basement apartment in your own home, snow removal is an important consideration. The City of Cambridge is very strict about how quickly snow is removed once accumulated on properties, parking lots, and sidewalks.
As a landlord, what do you need to do for the tenants when heavy snowfall happens? Are you obligated to ensure the snow is removed? Or is it the tenant’s responsibility? This article will answer just that and more. Learn your options for snow removal as a landlord and how to add a snow removal clause to your lease.
Are Tenants Responsible for Snow Removal in Cambridge?
No, this is a common misconception landlords have. In Cambridge, tenants are not automatically responsible for snow removal upon signing the lease. The Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) clearly states that landlords are responsible for property maintenance, which includes snow removal.
Common areas, such as entrances, driveways, lobbies, and recreational facilities must be maintained by the landlord. If the landlord is unable to perform maintenance, they must ensure that someone else is performing required maintenance tasks in their place (property manager, repairman.etc). For snow removal, this would involve hiring a professional snow removal company.
Snow Removal Options for Landlords in Cambridge
If landlords are obligated to clear snow and ice from the property, what is the best way to go about doing it? There’s various options, some more efficient than others, to remove the snow in compliance with the RTA.
Remove the Snow Yourself
The immediate answer would be to clear the snow yourself with either a shovel or snow blower.
Removing the snow yourself would be the most affordable option, with the only cost associated with it being the cost of a shovel or snow blower.
However, this solution is the most physically-demanding and can take a significant amount of time. For landlords of apartment complexes and multiple properties, doing the snow removal yourself is nearly impossible and incredibly inconvenient.
Additionally, DIY snow removal tends to be less effective than professional solutions, which involve professional-grade snow equipment (snow plows) and de-icing products not always available over-the-counter. The landlord could potentially be held liable for a slip and fall because they failed to prevent it by not removing snow and ice effectively.
Hire a Professional Snow Removal Company
Many landlords in Cambridge hire snow removal companies to take care of the snow and ice clearing instead. While it does involve labour costs, a professional snow removal solution grants peace of mind while being more convenient and effective than doing it yourself.
For landlords that manage a larger property (ex. apartment complex) or multiple properties, professional snow removal is a must-have to ensure consistent compliance.
C&T’s Flexible Snow Removal Service
Looking for complete peace of mind with snow removal? Look no further than C&T’s flexible snow and ice removal services, designed to meet your unique needs with no unnecessary extras.
Our snow plows work around-the-clock during the winter season, monitoring weather forecasts and making multiple trips throughout the day as needed. We ensure safety with salting and de-icing, as well as preventative pre-storm treatments to prevent hazardous accumulation.
Get a snow removal solution you can rely on — Request an estimate today!
Can Landlords Delegate Snow Removal to Tenants?
In some cases, yes, landlords are able to switch snow removal obligations over to the tenant. The most common way snow removal responsibilities are “transferred” to the tenant is through a snow removal clause in the leasing agreement. Despite being common practice, a snow removal clause isn’t always enforceable.
Our company is not able to provide legal advice on this subject, please refer directly to a lawyer if you intend to add a snow removal clause.
There’s several disadvantages to relying on the tenants to take over snow removal responsibilities:
- Tenants must agree voluntarily to remove the snow, it cannot be imposed on them.
- Tenants will often expect some form of compensation for taking over snow removal responsibilities (ex. discounted rent).
- For landlords managing apartment complexes or multiple properties, delegating snow removal responsibilities will be complex, if not impossible.
- Tenants may forget to clear snow in a timely manner that complies with municipal snow clearing bylaws.
- Tenants may not be able to clear the snow effectively enough to ensure safety and compliance.
- When failing to comply with Cambridge’s snow clearing bylaws, The property owner will be liable regardless.
Overall, transferring snow removal responsibilities to the tenant can put the landlord at risk of non-compliance. It is not always a solution you can rely on, and it doesn’t completely eliminate liability.