Charging Tenants for Damage
Ever wonder what you should charge for in your rentals? What size nails did your tenant use? Are they even mentioned in your lease?? Make sure you go through your lease at your initial lease signing. You might have to have your tenant sign and initial the rules and regulations if you think you might have a problems in the future.
Take a look at this table from Nolo Press. It clears up the grey areas and puts it into focus.
| Ordinary Wear and Tear: Landlord's Responsibility | Damage or Excessive Filth: Tenents Responsibility |
| Curtains faded by the sun | Cigarette burns in curtains or carpets |
| Water-stained linoleum by shower | Broken tiles in bathroom |
| Minor marks on or nicks in wall | Large marks on or holes in wall |
| Dents in the wall where a door handle bumped it | Door off its hinges |
| Moderate dirt or spotting on carpet | Rips in carpet or urine stains from pets |
| A few small tack or nail holes in wall | Lots of picture holes or gouges in walls that require patching as well as repainting |
| A rug worn thin by normal use | Stains in rug caused by your leaking fish tank |
| Worn gaskets on refrigerator doors | Broken refrigerator shelf |
| Faded paint on bedroom wall | Water damage on wall from hanging plants |
| Dark patches of ingrained soil on hardwood floors that have lost their finish and have been worn down to bare wood | Water stains on wood floors and windowsills caused by windows being left open during rainstorms |
| Warped cabinet doors that won't close | Sticky cabinets and interiors |
| Stains on old porcelain fixtures that have lost their protective coating | Grime-coated bathtub and toilet |
| Moderately dirty mini-blinds | Missing mini-blinds |
| Bathroom mirror beginning to "de-silver" | Mirrors caked with lipstick and makeup (black spots) |
| Clothes dryer that delivers cold air because the thermostat has given out | Dryer that won't turn at all because it's been over-loaded |
| Toilet flushes inadequately because mineral deposits have clogged the jets | Toilet won't flush properly because it's stopped up with a diaper |
This is great. I have been needing a guide. Don't forget to include mentioning the rules and regs in the lease
I can't view this guide. That HUGE advertisement square is in my way. What a HOT mess.
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