Water damage on 2 years old laminate floor

[Hui Kiang]

Hi all,

I noticed the floor in one bedroom is buckling and warping on edge after the tenant moved out. I texted the tenants and she said their family didn't do it. They requested coming over this weekend to check it out. How should I handle the situation? I'm not interested in keeping their deposit but I do want them to have someone fixes it. If they can't, I will find a handyman to do the repair. 

We did a thorough walkthrough before she moved in and videotaped it. There was no floor damage. Unfortunately, I only kept the youtube version and the quality is too low to tell the condition of the floor. We also did final walkthrough 2 weeks before she moved out. But the area was covered with furniture. At the day she moved out, they were in a rush and I kicked myself so hard for not doing one final detail walkthrough when the floor is finally clear. 

If they still insist they didn't cause the damage, can I still deduct the cost of repair from her deposit? How would you handle it? Thanks in advance. 

[Patricia Steiner]

This is why the walk-through is done after the contents are removed.  I would have her come back and inspect the floor - just as you requested. As long as no other tenant has been in the unit, I would pursue it with her. But I would also get my handyman in there right away to determine what needs to be done and what it will cost.  You don't want the former tenant to repair it...what if it isn't done to your satisfaction?  You're not getting that many times up at bat to resolve this matter.  Photograph it, get a statement from your handyman with his best guess on what damaged it and the cost to repair it, and then give the tenant a chance to see it.  Document it well, maybe even split the cost of the repair at this point to avoid a security deposit fight that you would most likely lose if you signed-off on a final walk.  Move on this fast because time is not on your side...