# Shoveling the sidewalk: tenant or landlord? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301 "2012-01-12T16:57:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewesque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@andrewesque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewesque)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/1 "2012-01-12T16:57:17Z")
Now that it looks like we are getting the first big accumulating snow, I had a very simple question: who is responsible for shoveling the sidewalk, the landlord or the tenant? I live in Bucktown in a building in a 2-flat (just two apartments). I’m totally physically capable of shoveling the walk in front of the building, though I’ll need to acquire a shovel, and I’ll happily do it if it’s the tenant’s responsibility. Not the most fun thing, but it’s a workout and I could do with some exercise. However, if it’s the landlord’s responsibility, then I’d like to at least get in touch with my landlord (who is very friendly and responsive) to see what the arrangements are; after all, I wouldn’t object to a deduction in rent in exchange for shoveling. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/2 "2012-01-12T17:12:07Z")
It’s the landlords responsibility. However your neighbors may be a little pissed at you for ingnoring it. Why not give the landlord a call and say “Hey I don’t mind helping out this once but it’s really not my job, but if you’re willing to knock 25$ off the rent for each time I shovel I’d be OK with that.” ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/3 "2012-01-12T17:59:00Z")
Yeah, my first inclination is that it’s the landlord’s responsibility. It may be stated in the lease agreement. I’ve lived in apartments since 1992 and have never had to shovel a sidewalk - but might have if it didn’t get done by them. If the landlord doesn’t live there, they may have a service hired, and if that’s the case it just may take up to a day from the snowfall for them to get to your property, since a service will have many properties to take care of. My current building’s got a service and my property manager has 10 buildings she takes care of, so sometimes it takes until the next day, but it always gets done. They even shovel all the decking in back - and that’s a lot of decking! ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/4 "2012-01-12T18:04:11Z")
Unless it’s specified in the lease as the tenant’s responsibility, it’s the landlords, at least where I live. No reason you can’t call him up and make your offer. It’s been a mild winter so far, he may not be willing to go for the ‘every month thing’. Maybe consider $10 off for every shovel requiring snow? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/5 "2012-01-12T18:33:04Z")
I’m a Chicago landlord, and I always take the responsibility to get the shoveling done. I don’t know if I have to by law, but it seems logical. I’m the one who’ll get the ticket if I don’t. If a tenant offered to shovel for a break on the rent, I’d definitely take him up on it. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/6 "2012-01-12T21:45:20Z")
I’m a landlady in Kansas, I figure it’s my responsibility. But the law about shoveling is not really enforced here. Same goes for the yard. I own a large house and live upstairs, renting out the first floor which is a separate apartment. The current tenant was a friend(and still is!) before I rented to him and his SO. I hate mowing, kind of scared of those spinning blades, and he offered to do it for a sum off of the rent. Works out pretty well. ---
**Author:** ![Cheryl44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@Cheryl44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheryl44)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/7 "2012-01-12T23:32:09Z")
It took our landlord’s service two days to get to my building after the blizzard last year, and they did an extremely poor job. They shoveled a one person width down to about the last two inches, then didn’t shovel out to the street or the alley. I think I may have gotten them fired, after I took pictures and sent them to the landlord and the alderman. Edited to mention what I was going to say in the first place: 16 apartments and it turns out no one in my building owns a snow shovel. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shoveling-the-sidewalk-tenant-or-landlord/609301/8 "2012-01-12T23:52:38Z")
I seem to recall that it’s the _owner’s_ responsibility to take care of snow shoveling, and the landlord is the owner. That said, the landlord doesn’t have to do it himself, he can contract with someone else to do it - including the tenant. I’m not a lawyer, just someone who’s been renting for three decades. It’s always been the landlord responsible, unless otherwise stated in the lease.