Damage or wear and tear?

[Masi Jiovanna]

[Account Closed]

Normal wear and tear is what happens when you use something the way it is meant to be used over time.  There is also a life expectancy for things like counter tops, appliances, paint.  Personally, I wouldn't charge then for anything you've shown.  Those light switches must have been garbage to begin with, same with the seam on the counter top.  The patch on the wall was an attempt to repair it.  If you wanted to nit pick, you could charge them for sanding it down when you paint, but as I say, I never charged for anything you're showing.  There's just always going to be some stuff that needs to be fixed, painted, upgraded after a tenant moves out who just lived a normal life in the unit.

[Alyssa Lebetsamer]

There are some things I would ask myself here - were they good tenants? Was the move out smooth? Did they clean fairly well before they left? Did they take all their stuff with them? If the answer to everything was yes, then I would let this all go. The marks on the wall are from where they tried to patch and paint themselves. That shows me that they were trying to leave it in good condition for you. The dirty sink and dirty shelves are not a thing - you have to clean it all anyway. The seam in the granite is probably not their fault and I'm guessing neither is the hinge. The one thing I may pause at is the stains on the floor. It is hard to see what we are dealing with there, but since everything else is normal wear and tear I am guessing that this might be too. If you want to be a real stickler you could charge them for part of the painting, a new light switch, and maybe part of a professional cleaning bill. But be ready to back that up because they might fight you on it.

[Aigo Pyles]

Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Normal wear and tear is what happens when you use something the way it is meant to be used over time.  There is also a life expectancy for things like counter tops, appliances, paint.  Personally, I wouldn't charge then for anything you've shown.  Those light switches must have been garbage to begin with, same with the seam on the counter top.  The patch on the wall was an attempt to repair it.  If you wanted to nit pick, you could charge them for sanding it down when you paint, but as I say, I never charged for anything you're showing.  There's just always going to be some stuff that needs to be fixed, painted, upgraded after a tenant moves out who just lived a normal life in the unit.

 Agree.

[Sharlene Mulchandani]

@Masi Jiovanna From the images you've shared with us, If it were my property I would have considered this normal wear and tear. Some of these look like they have occurred due to natural use by your tenants over time. If they left the property clean when they moved out, I would overlook these. 

[Percy Matsunaga]

@Masi Jiovanna

If there was a walk Thur the property prior to live in I would deduct those from the security deposit. 

However, if it’s normal wear and tear I would just get them repaired as needed. Use the cash fund to do some of the repairs. 

[Theresa Harris]

Bad patch jobs on the walls.  Not sure how long they were there, but if it was a few years, hopefully you have paint to touch up the walls and I'd call that done.  The light switch, I'd charge them for it as it isn't normal wear and tear.

Cupboards and sink, just do a quick clean.  Stain on the floor, see if you can get it out, if not what are your options? 

[Account Closed]

Originally posted by @Theresa Harris:

Bad patch jobs on the walls.  Not sure how long they were there, but if it was a few years, hopefully you have paint to touch up the walls and I'd call that done.  The light switch, I'd charge them for it as it isn't normal wear and tear.

Cupboards and sink, just do a quick clean.  Stain on the floor, see if you can get it out, if not what are your options? 

 With respect, how can a tenant damage a light switch?  Really, by turning it on and off in any manner, and it doesn't hold up, it's got to be a cheap light switch that can't handle just being turned on and off, even with some gusto.  I can't imagine any scenario where a tenant is going to cause damage to a light switch that wouldn't be normal wear and tear to a piece of junk.

[JD Martin]

The only thing I see, other than a lousy patch, is the countertop miter looks like it is swollen or separating. Laminate counters are designed to be wet, and if the miter swelled it wasn't installed, caulked or sealed properly. If you look underneath the counter you can look at the miter can locks to see if they are still installed or broken, which would suggest someone strong yanked up on the counter and broke the particleboard cutouts. I suspect it is just swollen from improper installation. 

[Theresa Harris]

Originally posted by @Account Closed:

Originally posted by @Theresa Harris:

Bad patch jobs on the walls.  Not sure how long they were there, but if it was a few years, hopefully you have paint to touch up the walls and I'd call that done.  The light switch, I'd charge them for it as it isn't normal wear and tear.

Cupboards and sink, just do a quick clean.  Stain on the floor, see if you can get it out, if not what are your options? 

 With respect, how can a tenant damage a light switch?  Really, by turning it on and off in any manner, and it doesn't hold up, it's got to be a cheap light switch that can't handle just being turned on and off, even with some gusto.  I can't imagine any scenario where a tenant is going to cause damage to a light switch that wouldn't be normal wear and tear to a piece of junk.

 They can punch it to turn it on or off. 

[Adam Martin]

The light is broken and I do not see how that would be normal wear and tear and would deduct for that.  As for the walls it is a grey area, how long were they there and when is the last time they were painted.  If it had been a while and you were going to have to paint anyway I'd just let it go.  If it painted within the last year or so you may have a claim however I paint myself so it isn't really costing me much and I can knock out a wall very quickly.  Also if you deduct for the light and not the wall if they try to claim you were unreasonable you can bring up that you let the walls go in an attempt to be fair.