Tenant vs Owner Responsibilities in an Apartment: Who Pays for What?

A tenant says the service charge is the landlord's problem. The landlord, living in another city, says the tenant agreed to pay it. Meanwhile the association's treasurer has three months of arrears and nobody to chase. Getting tenant vs owner responsibilities clear on paper is one of the cheapest ways to keep an apartment building running smoothly.

Why the split matters to the association

The owners' association deals with flats, not with private rental deals. Whatever an owner and tenant agree between themselves, the building still needs its guards paid, the lift serviced and the generator fuelled every month.

That is why most associations follow one simple principle: the owner is ultimately accountable to the association, even if the tenant hands over the money. Check how your own constitution or by-laws phrase this, and take legal advice if a dispute becomes serious.

Tenant vs owner responsibilities: a typical split

Every building is different, but this table reflects a common, sensible arrangement. Use it as a starting point for your own rule sheet.

The key line is the first one. If the tenant pays the service charge, that is a convenience. If the tenant stops paying, the association looks to the owner.

Rules every owner should pass on to a tenant

Many disputes start simply because a new tenant was never told the building's rules. Ask owners to hand over a one-page rule sheet when they let the flat. It might cover:

• Gate closing time and guest entry procedure
• Parking slots and who may use them
• Rubbish collection times and where bins go
• Use of the roof and community room
• Lift use when moving furniture
• How to raise a complaint and whom to contact in an emergency

Tip: Keep the rule sheet short. One page that people actually read beats a ten-page document nobody opens.

Registering tenants with the association

The association should know who is living in each flat. A simple tenant registration form can ask for:

1. Flat number and owner's name
2. Tenant's name, mobile number and number of occupants
3. Move-in date and expected length of stay
4. Who will pay the monthly service charge — owner or tenant
5. Signature of both owner and tenant

The fourth point is the important one. If the owner and tenant both sign "tenant pays", the treasurer knows whom to remind first, and the owner has already acknowledged they remain responsible if payments stop.

Once tenant vs owner responsibilities are written down and signed, the treasurer no longer has to referee every disagreement personally.

Handling arrears when a tenant moves out

Say a tenant in flat C-3 leaves with two months of service charge unpaid. A clean way to handle it:

1. Ask owners to notify the association at least a few days before a tenant moves out.
2. Check the dues list before the move-out date.
3. Inform the owner of any outstanding amount in writing.
4. Record that the owner is now responsible for clearing it.

Sample SMS to the owner:

Dear owner, flat C-3 has service charge dues of ৳8,000 up to August. As your tenant is moving out, please clear the dues or confirm the arrangement with the association. Thank you, Owners' Association.

Complaints: who raises them, who fixes them

Tenants live in the building every day, so they usually notice leaks, broken lights or lift problems first. Let tenants raise complaints about common areas directly with the association. Problems inside the flat — a leaking bathroom pipe, for example — are normally between tenant and owner, unless the cause is a common pipe or the roof.

When a leak from an upper flat damages a lower one, the association's role is usually to help identify the source and bring the two owners together, not to pay for private repairs.

For cooperatives that manage deposits, DPS and loans, see Somity Keeper; for a small somiti or savings circle, the simpler Somity Keeper Lite app keeps the books on your phone.

How Society Keeper helps

In Society Keeper, every flat carries its owner and resident details, so the treasurer can see who lives where and whom to remind. Monthly bills run automatically, payments get a numbered receipt with a QR code and an SMS confirmation, and the dues list shows exactly what is outstanding before a tenant moves out. Residents can log in to the member web app with a mobile OTP to see their dues and raise complaints about common areas. You can see it in action through the free demo.