common items that tenants steal , and possible solutions to them.

[Bernard B.]

Good afternoon BP nation, 

     I always seem to have common items stolen from every rental unit when tenants move out. I tend to see stolen light bulbs, smoke detectors, hydraulic door closers (yes), shower curtains and shower curtain rods, toilet paper spindles, medicine cabinet glass/wood shelves, window blinds, they also tend to break ceiling fans. I solved a few of these issues, but not all. I continue to try and make my units as tenant proof as possible. Please let me know, your thoughts. ( I apologize in advance if this topic has been covered already).

[Bernard B.]

For the stolen light bulbs, I have replaced them with the Cree led light bulbs ( if they can somehow remain in the unit, they tend to look like a regular light bulb and  last awhile and they don't make a humming noise). Tenants remove hard wired smoke detectors and just throw them away, not put them in a closet to be found later. Now, I put in the smoke detectors that have the 10 year battery and it simply screws in without being hard wired into the house. Some of my tenants have removed the hydraulic door closers so that they can bring in there bed mattresses, large dresser units, or refrigerators? After replacing the same door closers 3 times on the same rental unit, I now simply leave it off, and the tenant can prop the door open as wide as they want. Shower curtain and rods, toilet paper holder spindles ( unfortunately, I still replace these items as they tend to make the units more rent-able). Window blinds would be typically damaged from tenants trying to peep out to see who is outside at every possible noise. Now , I don't replace the window blinds, I use a shower curtain to cover the windows, until the tenant moves in and then , if they chose, they can install their own window coverings or keep the shower curtain up. Believe it or not, tenants still break ceiling fan blades, pull chains, light bulb holders, ( or remove the entire unit from the ceiling?) Now , if I find ceiling fan damaged, I just remove the entire fan , and replace it with a standard light. One final note, a tenant also stole two water gutter spouts, why I don't know ( maybe for the metal), but I had to just replace those. Hopefully, you guys are having better luck with your short term/borderline criminal tenants. 

[JD Martin]

I just deduct missing items from the deposit. So I don't worry about it too much. We put LED bulbs in all fixtures and once in a while someone will abscond with a few bulbs, but we just deduct it from the deposit. Beyond that we screen pretty heavily and don't really have a problem with theft. We provide new shower liners with some of our homes (ones with clawfoot tubs, for example) so we would toss the old ones out anyway. 

[Dennis M.]

They can have all that junk because I’ll be keeping their deposit !

[Patricia Steiner]

There's a way of avoiding this issue...when you sign the lease with the tenant and do the walk-through, include an inventory on the form of every item that is part of the unit:  all appliances, shower bar and curtain, # of light bulbs, plunger, fire extinguisher - everything. Take photos of the unit to show condition.  Then have the tenant sign it - acknowledging all is there and that the unit must be returned in the same condition with the same inventory.  Give the tenant a copy of it.  Then at inspections, note that the items are still present (and if not or replaced - like a new shower curtain), ask where they are and have them replaced; that new shower curtain is yours unless they have the old one on the premises.

Inspect what you expect and remind the tenant that what's yours will always be yours.

[Bernard B.]

Thank you all for the additional ideas and advice. Hopefully, this will help me keep my sanity.(smile).