How often should dryer vents be cleaned?

Many owners do it at turnover and at least yearly, more often for long duct runs. Follow the dryer maker's guidance and your local rules.

Can I make the tenant pay for cleaning the vent?

Only for damage they caused, within your state's deposit rules. Routine duct cleaning is usually the owner's cost. This is general information, not legal advice.

Are foil duct hoses okay?

Many manufacturers and codes discourage them because they trap lint and crush easily. Rigid or semi-rigid metal is the usual choice.

Dryer Vent Cleaning in a Rental: Who Does It?

The tenant normally cleans the lint trap after each load, and the landlord arranges the cleaning of the duct and exterior vent, often at each turnover and at least once a year if the building has dryers. Clogged vents are a fire and moisture risk, so put the split in the lease, schedule the duct cleaning like any other maintenance, and keep the invoice.

A fair way to split the work

Task	Who	How often
Empty the lint trap	Tenant	After every load
Keep the area around the dryer clear	Tenant	Always
Report slow drying or a hot smell	Tenant	When it happens
Clean the duct and exterior vent hood	Owner or vendor	At turnover and at least yearly
Check the vent is connected and goes outside	Owner or vendor	At turnover
Replace a crushed or foil duct	Owner	When found

This split is a common practice, not a legal rule. Your state, city or lease may say otherwise.

Why it matters

Lint is fuel, and a blocked duct holds heat and moisture in the dryer. A dryer that takes two cycles to finish is a warning sign. Moisture is also a mold risk: the EPA lists venting moisture-producing appliances such as dryers outdoors as part of moisture control.

If a vent ends in a crawl space, attic or wall cavity instead of outside, that is a defect you should fix, not clean.

How to run a vent check at turnover

Pull the dryer away from the wall, unplug it, and shut off gas if it is a gas dryer.
Check that the duct is metal, rigid or semi-rigid, and not crushed behind the dryer.
Look for lint at the connection and signs of heat discoloration.
Go outside and check that the exterior hood flap opens and there is no lint or bird nest.
Hire a duct cleaning service for a full brush-through where lint is heavy or the run is long.
Put the dryer back, level it, and record the date and findings.

Do not run a gas dryer connection yourself unless you are qualified; leave gas fittings to a licensed pro.

What it costs

Example a made-up owner has 8 units with dryers. A duct cleaning service charges a made-up $110 per unit, $880 for all eight, scheduled once a year with a made-up $60 discount for booking them together, $820 total. The owner adds it to the annual maintenance budget as one line.

Duct cleaning is an ordinary maintenance cost for rentals and is generally deducted as a repair. Your preparer decides final treatment.

Put it in the lease

One sentence is enough: "Tenant cleans the lint trap after each use and reports any dryer problem promptly. Landlord arranges duct cleaning." Then follow through. A lease clause does not protect you if no one has cleaned the duct in five years.

Signs a vent needs attention now

Clothes take more than one cycle to dry.
The laundry room feels hot or smells like something burning.
The outside hood does not open when the dryer runs or lint blows out around it.
There is lint on the floor behind the dryer.
Condensation on the walls or windows near the laundry area.

Put these signs in the tenant handbook with a request to report them. A tenant who tells you early saves you from a larger repair.

How DoorKeeping handles it

Ask your Claude or ChatGPT, connected to DoorKeeping, to open a work order, send the vendor a job link and read the bill when it arrives. Keep the duct cleaning invoice and the date in the property's documents, so the next check is easy to place. Anything that involves money or a legal step waits for your one-tap approval, and DoorKeeping costs $2 per unit per month with every feature included.

Sources

EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home, read Oct 30, 2026

Questions

How often should dryer vents be cleaned?: Many owners do it at turnover and at least yearly, more often for long duct runs. Follow the dryer maker's guidance and your local rules.
Can I make the tenant pay for cleaning the vent?: Only for damage they caused, within your state's deposit rules. Routine duct cleaning is usually the owner's cost. This is general information, not legal advice.
Are foil duct hoses okay?: Many manufacturers and codes discourage them because they trap lint and crush easily. Rigid or semi-rigid metal is the usual choice.