Do I charge tenant for installing hand railing for stairs?

[Caleb Smith]

Since I am just starting out with owning rental properties, I wanted to hear what experienced landlords would do in this situation.

An older resident asked me to install handrailing outside the front door on the stairs. I figured this would be a reasonable accommodation and something that the resident would appreciate. Since I am not handy and am limited on time, I hired a handyman service to take care of the project.

It ended up costing quite a bit more than I initially thought. So I was curious if I should just eat the cost and pay for the entire amount or if I would be able to charge back some of the cost to the tenant?

[Nathan Gesner]

Installing a railing is much cheaper than paying a medical bill. You did the right thing. Next time, try to get a bid from the contractor before hiring them so you know what to expect.