Tenant complaints about uneven floor

[Lesley M.]

Hi folks,

My new tenant was placed in my St Louis property last December. Since then, she’s had a multitude of complaints about various issues big and small. I’ve spent $10k to fix issues like new HVAC and fridge.

She’s also been complaining about uneven floors in the house, which she says are a tripping and splinter hazard. I visited the house a few weeks ago, and the floors are slightly uneven, but it’s more like an old house issue than anything else. The foundation is clean. Additionally, her house is cluttered and the floors hadn’t been vacuumed or swept in months, so I  am suspicious about her claims of tripping safety and splinters.

Questions:

- Are her concerns valid complaints?

- Is there anything that can be done about the issues (within reason)?

- How can I protect myself against lawsuit? What should I be concerned with protecting myself against?

- if she’s claiming safety issues and I decline redoing all the floors, how can I do so in a way that’s acknowledging the concern and saying I won’t resolve it?

thanks

[Lesley M.]

@Kevin Sobilo thanks, I appreciate this detail. When I purchased the house, there were signs of termites but no damage (at least according to the inspector). I got the place treated then and have had annual treatments every year. I’ll ask the pest inspector to come out again and ensure it’s okay.