Potential clients always ask about what happens if a tenant trashes the property. First, I like to tell them that it’s a real risk, which is part of becoming a landlord. You’re offering your home to someone, and they can disrespect the property and cause damage. We collect a security deposit to help offset that risk, but if all of the flooring is ripped up and the paint on the walls is damaged beyond the amount of the deposit, you need to have a plan.
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Property Management Mesa: Reserve Funds
The good news is that this doesn’t happen very often. It’s pretty rare that people leave and the deposit doesn’t cover the damages that were left. However, there are situations where new flooring or all of your landscaping is trashed. I recommend a reserve; either a credit card or a savings account where you have something that can be used if all this damage happens. You want to get the property fixed up as soon as possible so you can get a new tenant in place. It will be important to start generating income again.
Property Management Mesa: Paying for the Damage
So who pays for the damage? The tenant needs to pay for it, but if they have moved out before the end of the lease or been evicted, chances are they don’t have money and they’re long gone and won’t pay for damages right away. I’ve never seen it happen. So, have that backup credit card or reserve funds. You’ll have to pay out of pocket up front and then get the home ready for the market. Then, we can tally up how much that tenant owes. Include any outstanding rent, damages, and even advertising and utility costs that your tenant is causing you to pay for. You can send the tenants to collections. For a long time, we sent tenants to collections and the success rate was like 2 percent. It’s getting better now that technology is getting integrated. Finding people is a lot easier, so collections are on the rise. Even then, you might not see all of your out of pocket expenses returned. However, keep receipts and get
invoices and talk to your accountant. Most likely, you’ll qualify for a tax deduction, and that will offset your financial losses.
If you have a situation where your tenant has caused damage, please
contact us at East Valley Property Management. We’d be happy to help you with all your
Mesa property management needs.
