Tenant repairs

[Mark Forest]

Some landlords have said thy allow tenants to fix properties when the tenant does damage. My lease states that the tenant can do this if it is done “promptly.” If they do not do it promptly I can go in and charge them for the repair. In my case the tenants have allowed their dog to ruin my wood floors by urinating and vomiting on it for an extended period of time without making any effort to repair or stop the damage. Now the house stinks, and the floors have black stains in many areas. To repair this would require measures to replace the wood, re-stain to match the rest of the floor, and deodorizing. I don’t mind if tenants fix scratches or fill a hole in drywall, but this requires someone who knows what they are doing. At what point do any of you let the tenants fix their own mistakes or call in a pro?

[Prashant P.]

I don't allow tenants to do any repairs. My lease even states that all repairs must be authorized by the landlord and must be done by a landlord approved contractor. The reason for this is that you are taking someones word that they capable of fixing something. Better to spend the money and get it done yourself or do the work your self.

In your case you can either ride out this tenant until the end of his lease term and then not renew. You already know that the damage is done and you can get it repaired and charge the security deposit. There is no sense in repairing it while they are there because they can easily ruin what you have fixed.