Nobody told me about the 5-year roof inspection rule until I lost a tenant

I owned a small strip mall in Austin for about 3 years before a tenant left me a nasty voemail about water stains on their ceiling tiles. I called my roofer and he asked when the last time I had a commercial roof inspection was. I said never, I figured roofs just worked until they leaked. He said most commercial leases actually require a professional inspection every 5 years or you can be held liable for tenant damage. That cost me $8,500 in drywall repairs and lost rent for 2 months while we fixed it. Now I have a calendar reminder every 4 years and I hire the same guy. Has anyone else gotten burned by fine print in their lease agreements like this?

2 comments

2 Comments

beth_butler751d ago

Wait, leases actually say that?

stella2791d ago

Oh absolutely, the fine print is wild.