Covenants in a lease are the terms of the contract between the landlord and the tenant and they specify responsibility for matters arising out of the lease. Normally, a lease will make express provision for one party to repair and maintain the whole or part of the demised premises and for the other party to repair and maintain the remainder.In short leases the landlord will often be directly responsible, while in long leases the tenant will usually take on the obligation for repair and maintenance.For leases held in respect of premises that form part of a larger building, it is frequently the practice to require the tenant to keep the interior repaired, while the landlord is responsible for the exterior and common parts and the structure of the overall building. The landlord will often seek to recover the cost of fulfilling this liability by way of a service charge.