I'm not in this situation but I want to know how to handle it when it arises.

In an extreme situation where for example there's only one bathroom in the unit it and the unit becomes unlivable (not by tenant's fault) for a few days due to repairs being made, do you front money to the tenant to stay in a hotel for a few days or do you expect them to be able to pay for the hotel room in advance and have them give you a bill at the end of their stay and reimburse them the exact amount then?

For a start, you don't want the tenant to pick the motel. You tell them that you are paying for it and they will pick a place that is $500 a night and they will order room service and empty out the drinks fridge.

Veering off topic, I only buy rentals that have two bathrooms. In case one becomes unusable, the tenants still have another one to use.

Thanks. I agree on not letting them choose the hotel, and trying the friends idea.

Seldom should you employ this tactic. If a giant weather event hits and knocks out utilities - no.

If you are making repairs- no.

By all means, expedite the work. Time the work so as to minimize disruption, but unless your negligence, or incompetence rendered their entire home uninhabitable, the answer is clearly no.

Using a nearby public restroom, shower at a gym or truckstop, or better yet at a friends house.

Modify your lease today....

"If, due to repairs that may be necessary from time to time, the premises become not fully functional, there shall be no rent abatement and LANDLORD shall not be responsible for providing TENANT with accommodations, subject to the laws of the State of (your state)."

Here's why I say that: the LAW defines what my responsibilities are. It is RARE that a premises becomes truly uninhabitable to the point that they MUST go somewhere else. In my 16 years of land lording, it has happened twice: once when we treated for bed bugs and our exterminator got overzealous with the chemicals, and once when we had a minor fire in a room and needed to have the building checked per the City before reoccupying. In each case, it took a total of 1 (one) day to remedy the issue. One tenant has friends they stayed with. The other one we put up in a 1 bed hotel, not a suite or anything nearly so nice.

The law says if something isn't working, it is my duty to fix it within a reasonable time period. So I fix it within a reasonable time period. I may--at my options--choose to abate rent on a per diem basis utnil the repair is complete, but generally speaking we get the repair done within 72 hours (3 days), which is not a huge inconvenience. There are public bathrooms all over the place.

Having a non-functional toilet for a few days doesn't make a house uninhabitable long-term. It means they have to drive or walk 1-2 blocks to the Quickee Mart or whatever. No one has died in a home due to the toilet being out of service for a day or two, to my knowledge. Life happens. The law tells me what my duty is. Therefore, I perform my duty to the letter of the law, and if it takes me awhile to get it done due to super busy contractor, then out of the kindness of my heart (not the requirements of the law) I may choose to abate the rent for a brief period.

Remember back in the old days when people used outhouses' and chamber pots? Not my cup of tea for certain, but they would laugh at how fragile of a society we've become that a non-working toilet means the end of the world. Indoor plumbing is COMMON and in most places in the developed world it is EXPECTED, but it is not REQUIRED to live. Yes, if the tenants are paying for it they should get it and it should work properly the vast majority of the time, but losing it for 0.25% of the year doesn't mean you owe them $150 a night in a hotel. That attitude is a great way to go broke quickly!

Handle it however you like, but know what your duty is under your state's law, and get this in your lease today!

No more hotels for me. But if you do choose to go that route, I highly recommend you have the tenant pay for it on their card and then you reimburse them up to $X. That way if they decide to tear out the walls, smoke, and bring in bed bugs, your card doesn't get hit with huge charges.

I have used an outhouse a few times as a kid. Don't forget the wells and cisterns. Feed the horses too. Cellars anyone?

Florida does not require the landlord to pay for a hotel while an uninhabitable unit is being repaired. All you are required to do is prorate the rent for the days the tenant cannot stay in the unit.

Due to hidden leak that caused a rotten subfloor in an upstairs bathroom, I needed to tear the entire bathroom apart and replace the floor. It was a two bathroom, but I turned the water to the house off when I removed all the fixtures in the bathroom. I put the T up in a local hotel for three nights. I paid for the room only and directed the hotel that any incidentals were on the tenant.

Because I had accumulated "comps" that covered the room, and because I will never use all the comps I have at that hotel/casino, it cost me nothing. Of course, a month later, all of the goodwill from that T had evaporated!

I do like LLOF answer.

I would do exactly what Robin (FL) suggested. That is what renter’s insurance is for.

A few times when an air conditioner couldn’t be repaired within a couple of days I credited the tenant for 1/2 the daily rent for the days of inconvenience.

Whenever I’ve had a repair that couldn’t be made the same day like new water heater or having to wait a day for a toilet clog they made due- usually stayed overnight with friends/family and never complained.

I pick hotel and it is prepaid for room only. Last time I rented hotel was when two brothers had deadbolt lock freeze up and I could not get them in at 1030pm. Problem solved next day with locksmith.