Tenant plumbing damage - who is responsible?

[Jamie Powers]

Hello all,

I have some tenants who recently clogged the upstairs toilet. In the process they broke the flushing handle and they had an overflow where the water flowed through the ceiling and caused some damage in the ceiling below. We had a plumber come out and their are no leaks or other plumbing issues other than the broken handle on the toilet. This is not the first time these tenants have caused issues with the upstairs plumbing and this is starting to get expensive. Given that they clogged the toilet and allowed the water to overflow which then leaked through the ceiling I believe the cost should be passed on to the tenant. I am in California and have a standard residential 1 year lease with these tenants. They have been good tenants overall but their use/abuse of the plumbing upstairs is getting expensive. 

 I am seeking advise on how to best handle this.

Thanks.