Reimbursing Tenants a Portion of deposit (Repair bill was more)

[Kerry Arm]

Thanks in advance for all who take the time  responding to my question. I purchased a property with student tenants. I agreed with the seller that the current tenant could remain in the home since they only had a few months remaining on their lease and it was rental income to me. A couple weeks before the tenants moved out, they reached  and stated all the damages in the apartment was not their fault. 

I understood they had a roommate several months before the sale was made but within the lease year.

I had the unit repaired and decided that charging them 60% of the repair bill is fair.

Does anyone think this is a reasonable solution or has anyone experience a similar situation? If so how did you handle it?

Thanks Again

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Kerry Arm:

Thanks in advance for all who take the time  responding to my question. I purchased a property with student tenants. I agreed with the seller that the current tenant could remain in the home since they only had a few months remaining on their lease and it was rental income to me. A couple weeks before the tenants moved out, they reached  and stated all the damages in the apartment was not their fault. 

I understood they had a roommate several months before the sale was made but within the lease year.

I had the unit repaired and decided that charging them 60% of the repair bill is fair.

Does anyone think this is a reasonable solution or has anyone experience a similar situation? If so how did you handle it?

I would not have done it that way. When I buy a place, I walk through each unit and ask the Seller to tell me if there's any damage that the tenant may be responsible for at that point. Once the sale is closed, I walk through and document the condition on the day of purchase so I have a solid starting point. And when the tenants vacate, any cleaning/repairs are the responsibility of every tenant, not just the last one out the door. It's called "joint and several liability" and should be in your lease. Learn what that means and then apply it.

I would have charged the full cost of cleaning and repairs unless the Tenant were able to provide some evidence it occurred prior to their occupancy.