Being a landlord can provide a plethora of benefits, such as being able to live within your own apartment complex and obtaining a secondary income if you’re renting out a few homes. However, the challenges that landlords go through is often enough to make anyone second guess their decision. One of the most common issues that landlords face is property damage, either from normal wear and tear or directly from there tenants. So, how should a landlord handle property damage? Read on to learn some important tips that can help you when facing this situation.
Reporting Damages
It is always the responsibility of the tenant to report any damage done within your property. You should then take the time to sit down and discusses who and how the damages will be paid for. Often times, contracts will detail this procedure, but even then, you can still find yourself with a tenant refusing to take any responsibility for the damage, let alone pay for it. If this is the case, the following is what you should consider doing.
Normal Wear & Tear
There’s a reason why some tenants will say that they will not pay for the damages done, and they will be in the right. When renting out a property, you should understand that at the end of the lease, there is going to be some normal wear and tear to parts like the walls. We’re not talking about large holes but rather light scuffs or scratches that the individual didn’t do on purpose. If you’re looking to cover these damages, then you should apply the wording onto your contract before it’s signed.
Deducting from Security Deposit
Once you’ve established that the damage is not caused by normal wear and tear and was intentional, then this allows you to cover the damages out of the tenant’s security deposit. You can site the Landlord and Tenant Act to demonstrate to the tenant your right to use money from their security deposit to cover the expenses. Note that if you do use the tenant’s security deposit, you must provide recipes to prove that you’re covering the cost in a reasonable manner. The tenant also has the right to dispute costs that they deem not essential or excessive.