Renter Destroyed Property

[Joseph Morales]

I had a renter that caused several thousands of dollars worth of damage to a property. More than the security deposit, and far more than would be recovered by small claims court. What would be the best way to proceed? 

[Greg M.]

In accordance with your local laws, notify the tenant of the amount due and offset it against the security deposit. Do not fail to do this. Your failure to do this may not only cause you to have to return the security deposit to the tenant, but you may have to pay him additional damages! 

You do not need an attorney to represent you in court. If the amount is high enough you may find one that would work on contingency. However, it's probably an open and shut case, so you should be able to do it yourself. Perhaps consult an attorney for specifics with complying with the law / filing the forms, but go to court on your own.  

Turn the judgment over to a collections agency and let them collect for a cut.