Appliance repairs in regards to House Hacking

[Cody Gray]

I'm currently drafting my rental agreement to be used for a property I am "house hacking" (renting out rooms of the house I am living in), and am curious what I am allowed to hold my potential tenants accountable for. It is my understanding that in a normal rental where appliances are supplied and accepted, the tenant is responsible for any and all repairs to them (assuming it's in the agreement). Also that those repair costs don't affect the security deposit.

With me living in the house with many people, if I find that a particular tenant caused a good amount of damage via general misuse or negligence, am I able to charge them for repairs to that appliance? Or do I have to let that fall under the security deposit forfeiture conditions? The appliances in question include the refrigerator and washer/dryer.

Thanks in advance for your help! This is my first real estate venture, and I want to make sure I get it right!

[Grace Wang]

@Cody Gray This has happened to me in a house with 5 roommates. Unless it's clearly one person's fault, just fix it and eat the cost. The upside of rent-by-the-room is the cashflow, but the downside is there will be more wear and tear. You could also get some sort appliance warranty that will save you the cost of service calls.