tenants' negligence caused damage, are they responsible?

[Chootar Laal]

i had 2 tenant (house mates) call me early morning one day complaining why i hadn't fixed the leak in the kitchen yet. this caught me by surprise as i did not know about it.
after a few minutes of the conversation, i realized they had decided to email me about the leak the night before instead of calling my cell or even texting, so the water had been leaking for almost 9 hours now. this gross negligence caused water damage downstairs.

can i hold them responsible and deduct it out of their security deposit? im in MA.

[Ed O.]

It probably depends on the judge. Based on what I have read about MA, it sure seems like a tenant friendly state.

More importantly, I'd get over there and cut out any soaked drywall and begin airing out where the leak has occurred (if you haven't already), so you're not saddled with other issues, like mold/mildew, etc. that accompany water damage. You'll have time to decide how you wish to proceed on the payment for damages later.