Louie Gabriel, we are very well aware that business has expenses. And we are investing more than most landlords do into maintenance and improvements of our properties because we respect and care about our tenants (perhaps even more than we should). There are landlords that are never even doing inspections of their properties, never maintain them.. Doesn't mean we have to be the same with ours. For if we would, our new house would be trashed in no time after a turnover just a few tenants who will gladly say "it's normal wear and tear!" and then we would end up doing major renovations a lot sooner than we would have had to otherwise and would have to absorb unnecessary costs to our business because we didn't charge adequately or at all every tenant who were leaving their own damages behind after them moving out. We're pretty much good with where we at after our 1st turnover and have a clear idea of what to do and how much to charge. We will use estimates where vendors cannot come out to perform the job before I have to refund the remaining of the security deposit, where we can, we will provide receipts and itemized list of charges and send remainder of security deposit within 30 days.
Normal wear and tear is acceptable and we all know that. Accidental damage(s) due to neglect, misuse or abuse of the property is not. Most tenants don't care about rentals because it's not their own (especially transient tenants). I compare condition of our newest rental to our own house, to our older rental (major renovation was done 13 years ago), to my parent's home, to my husband's parents' home and other people's homes, and I see that our newest rental is in worst condition after just 1 tenant (young couple), who lived there for only 2 years since it was brand new. Thoughts? Any of the other homes I just listed, had renovations done years and years ago, and they still are in a better shape than our newest rental. What does it tell us? It tells us that people who live there take care of the properties and are not negligent or abusive of it. So it looks better and things last longer. And if anyone who lives at the property being neglectful and careless, abuses or misuses the property, will cause a lot more damages and a lot faster than those ones who are careful and responsible.
Before those people moved in 2 years ago, I researched back and forth BP and downloaded tons of useful information, including Tenants Move-Out Checklist. I sent it to our tenants for their reference, so they were very well aware of what's expected of them. And we even reminded them about it and mentioned that all items are required as there will be no exceptions, when they gave us move-out notice. Mark Faustrum uses and offers Security Deposit Agreement, which I also like and it is basically reiterates similar things except that it covers a little less items but does have prices vs Move-Out Checklist don't.
What I was looking for is to properly and fairly assess the damages beyond normal wear and tear and incomplete cleaning in some parts of the house, and charge them fairly for all these items. In eyes of our previous tenants, everything they left behind is "normal wear and tear" (so they told us), despite that they signed Lease Agreement with Rider that specifies certain things and they were sent Move-Out Checklist ahead of time.
Here is an example of what people thing is "normal".. Our next door neighbors/tenants for 2 years (2018-2020), where we live, also thought they live normally and treat their own property and properties of nearby neighbors in acceptable matter.. I will not even mention they were rude and offensive to everyone around, including police officers. And I'll tell you what, beyond the point that they didn't pay rent for 1.5 years out of 2, they trashed the house so badly and entirely that the sister of that guy who lived there with his family, came to clean up after them feeling bas for the landlord, even advised to police officer against entering the house, that revolting it was - 3 dogs' feces IN THE HOUSE everywhere, raw nasty meat and intestines all around that they fed to their 3 dogs (the dogs appeared sick and looked abused), that was all over their yard and by their neighbors as well including our own, with green bottle flies everywhere, and it was in summer, when it stunk enormously! I thought it was bad that their backyard and backyard of their neighbors was a dogs' toilet, but I was wrong, the house inside was even worse... They were evicted last year, their landlords (elderly couple) suffered massive financial damages and losses (I even posted on here a question concerning our neighbors/landlords situation and asked for advice what to do with it). But these tenants are gone now.
So, my point is that all tenants have a tendency to be neglectful more or less and refer to all the damages they cause as "normal wear and tear". And is it really so? No, it doesn't mean that landlord has to go with it just because tenants want it to be considered "normal". I read a lot more experienced landlords' advice on BP and I learned a lot from our own experience too what tenants typically do (which aligns exactly with what our colleagues on BP are saying and predicting) and how best to respond to it, according to local and State laws and regulations, of course. But, thank you for reminding, we know that REI business has expenses :)
