How to Deal with Rental Property Damage

How to Deal with Rental Property Damage

It would be nice if all tenants were warm and loving to your property. Unfortunately, there will be those who will cause rental property damage either intentionally or not. When that occurs, you will need to assign rental repairs as quickly as possible by using the tenant’s security deposit which is designed for that purpose.

Here are a few tips that you will need to follow in case your rental property becomes damaged by a tenant. If you do not properly document what occurred, you are asking for the tenant to file a lawsuit when withholding their security deposit which they will probably win.

Take Photos

Perhaps the easiest way to deal with damage to your property is having a photographic record of all rooms in their pristine state and then taking photos when they are damaged. You can take the photographs during the time the tenant moves into the residence and then take new photos before repairing any damage that has occurred. By doing the proper documentation which only takes a few moments, you can protect yourself when tapping the security deposit to make repairs.

Make the Tenant Aware of the Damage ASAP

Right after you photograph the damage, you will need to alert the tenant as soon as possible. You can start with a phone call and leaving a message if they do not answer. However, you’ll want to follow up with a certified letter so that the date can be independently confirmed as to your notification. This protects you in case the tenant claims no knowledge of your notification.

Provide Cost Estimate for Repairs

You should have one or more contractors to call and get estimates for repairing the damage. You can inform the tenant about your steps in repairing the damage and they may offer to pay out of pocket rather than tap the security deposit. If so, that is reasonable on their part if the repairs are carried out. You should provide estimates from three different contractors so there is no favoritism. The key is to get the repair done in a reasonable amount of time, so do not tolerate any unwarranted delays.

Show Repair Amounts to Tenant

All repairs will warrant some type of payment from the security deposit or directly from the tenant. You will need to show the breakdown of the costs, even for small repairs such as fixing a broken toilet roll dispenser. Any repair that requires money to fix or replace should be part of your cost breakdown. By being upfront with your tenants, you can help ease their concerns, but do not expect to be very popular.

After Photos

Remember that most damage that is discovered usually occurs during the final inspection before they leave. So, be sure to take photos of the damage and when the repair work is completed, take more photos to show what has been done.

Dealing with rental property damage is never easy, but it is a necessary part of being a landlord. By following the proper steps towards discovery, documentation, and rental repairs, you can make the process as simple as possible.