Lease agreements are mutually beneficial contracts between property owners and tenants. Under the terms of the written lease, the lessors commit to providing the tenants with the temporary use and enjoyment of the property, either fully or partially, and the tenants commit to paying a certain amount of money in exchange for that use and enjoyment. Such agreement will usually lay out the responsibilities of each party clearly, including property maintenance.A landlord is to provide the property as advertised to the lessee on the date agreed upon. After a tenant occupies the property, a majority of the lessor’s duties towards the maintenance of the property are focused on damage and repairing any faults that are not as a result of the tenant’s negligence. Examples of the damages that fall under the landlord’s duty to fix include the repair or replacement of roofing structures, damage resulting from natural causes, etc. A landlord also has the duty to ensure that the lessee enjoys undisturbed use and enjoyment of the property. A lessor may not evict the lessee at any time, unless the lessor has complied with all lawful process including securing an Order of Court to evict the tenant.

A tenant’s main obligation is to pay the agreed upon rent on time and maintain proper use and care of the property. The lessee also has a duty to restore the property to the condition that he/ she found it in at the end of the lease period.‍