Damage to rental property can either be due to a lack of maintenance, routine wear and tear, or tenant-caused neglect and abuse. It’s important to determine who is responsible for that damage during the tenancy or after a tenant moves out. Paying for Property Damage The first thing you need
Paying for Property Damage
The first thing you need to do is to determine if the tenant damaged property or if it’s simply in need of routine maintenance. Then, you can determine if you’re going to charge the tenant for the repair or pay for it yourself. We always suggest that the owners take care of the repair and pay the bill, and then if it’s damage for which the tenant is responsible, you can bill them immediately or take the funds out of their deposit when they move out. This way, there’s no delay in getting the damage repaired.Collecting from the Tenant
If the amount of the repair is more than the amount of the security deposit, we send the bill and the accounting statement to the tenant. We ask them to pay the bill within 30 days. If they don’t pay, we discuss the collection options with the owner. When we’re determining what to do, we always let the owners know that collection agencies usually collect around 40 or 50 percent of the balance that’s due.Property Management Kent: Routine Maintenance
Attention to routine maintenance can reduce the risk of property damage. This includes roof cleaning and furnace service. Painting the outside of the property and having it inspected on a regular basis can also protect you from property damage. Property maintenance is often a gray area, and a professional property manager can help you determine if the problem was caused by your tenant or if it’s an owner responsibility.If you have any questions about avoiding rental property damage or anything pertaining to Kent property management, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Bell-Anderson & Associates. The talented property managers here would be happy to tell you more.
