How to reply to tenant if you don’t want to fix certain things?

[Elenis Camargo]

Hi BP! We just got new tenants that moved in. They are two college students but the mother is a co-signer. She was not there during the initial walkthrough because she’s from out of state but she sent a list of things today that were not on the walkthrough. There are some things we are aware of that we just don’t plan on fixing at the moment, for example, some windows have trouble opening. It’s an old house and it’s Florida where people barely open their windows anyway. Or other things like some windows don’t have screens. How can we reply stating we don’t plan on fixing these things at the moment but that we are aware and they won’t be charged for this when they move out? Thanks in advance!

[Michael Jones]

I would just respond with a kind note stating that you will add these to the walk through inspection to ensure that it can not affect their damage deposit. I would not mention anything about repairs in the reply just that it has been added and I would send them a copy of the updated walk through.

At least this will challenge them to ask specifically for it to be repaired. They may not respond.

On another note, as a property owner I would be very diligent about windows sticking. If there was a fire and someone could not open a window and they died.......well you get it from a life standpoint as well as a lawyer licking hos/her chops for that one.