All Forum Posts by: Mila F.

Quote from @Curtis Mears:

I do not see anything here I would charge a tenant. sinks will get scratched and unless there is a leaking hole, nothing there. As for the cat scratches on the washing machine, again, sounds like normal wear and tear. Personally, I doubt I would fix or replace any of these issues as no potential tenant is going to refuse to lease because of these issues.

As for the pet sitting, since they have moved out, there is no way to quantify how many days they were pet sitting so I doubt you have any claim. If this is the extent of your issues, then I would say they did a good job of caring for your property.

Thanks, Curtis. I'm guessing we are operating in different rental/tenant segments. In my case, scratched or punctured sinks are never normal, and leaving all of these issues not fixed, as you mentioned you would do, is most certainly going to turn away the type of tenants I target and cater to.  

It's interesting to see all the responses and different tolerance for damages. Must be really a function of the rental class being served.

Thank you for all the suggestions!

@Nathan Gesner, just to clarify, you recommend only the cost of the sink to be deducted, not the strainers? I like the idea of charging for material and not the labor, keeps things simple.

@Theresa Harris, actually two insulation panels are impacted, one on each door. The photos are of different doors.

@Max Ferguson, they've been "ok" tenants, not at the level of my typical tenants (high bar). The items I listed are not all of the damages they are leaving behind. It's just I know how to deal with those and didn't bring them up here. 

In general, my biggest lessons after these tenants is to (1) not allow a boat kept on my properties, and (2) stay away from people who are heavily into fishing. Was my first on both, and this lifestyle doesn't go well with my properties. 

Quote from @Matthew Paul:

I wish I were that lucky on a turn over . Those are minor . 

 Thank you, Paul. They are minor, relatively speaking, but for me it's more than I've had before and still cost money to fix :)

I have tenants moving out in a week, and they asked for pre-inspection. It's just a couple with a dog and a cat. They stayed a little short of two years, always paid on time, but left more wear/tear and damage than I'm used to with my rentals.  And because I haven't run into these kinds of issues before, I am not sure if they qualify as damage vs wear and tear, and how much I can deduct from the security deposit. Please help. Oh, and I am in GA.

1. The kitchen sink strainers were less than two years old when these guys moved in and were in excellent condition.  Now they are excessively scratched (see photo). The functionality is not impacted, but the overwhelming scratching definitely hurts the aesthetics, so I will be replacing them (my properties have a well-kept look and I want to maintain this standard).  Is this considered wear and tear, or am I allowed to deduct for these? Do I need to prorate for the unused years of the useful life? And what would it be?  

2. The kitchen sink seems to have a small puncture and some cuts that started rusting (not seen in this photo). I have no clue what they were doing there (they are heavily into fishing), but it's very likely the sink will have to be replaced (my trusted contractor will determine). How do I deduct for this? It's a double-sink, been in use since 2017, and all the previous  tenants left it in excellent condition. If I have to prorate, what is the useful life on a sink like this?

3. They had a cat but not a single cat scratcher. So, the cat left a lot of scratches. The damage it left on the trim and one of the doors is easy to quantify. I'm struggling with the washing machine. I noticed the cat dishes sitting on top of the machine and scratches on the right side panel. I'm guessing the cat sometimes jumps on the washing machine to get to the food bowls and scratches the surface when it can't make it. This is purely cosmetic damage, not overly extensive, but notable enough and gives my appliance a junky look. Ironically, I remember when I was showing them the place, they kept asking if the W/D were new and talking about them being so nice and "high-end" (really not a "high end", but it made me wonder what they've been using before). Anyway, given this is just the cosmetics, am I allowed to deduct for this, and if so, how much? It's a front -loading LG brand, was in use since 2017 and was in impeccable condition before their occupancy.

4. They put a few cuts and dents on 2 insulation panels on the garage doors. The longest cut is about 4". I bought the house in 2016 and the doors were already insulated. None of my previous tenants left any damage on them. The panels are replaceable, but am I even allowed to charge for these? If I can charge, how much? My garage contractor quoted $175 per panel and said their useful life should be "forever".

All of these were documented on the Move-In Inspection Form as in "excellent" condition, with "before" photos available. Current rent is $2,050.

Thanks in advance for guidance!

P.S. I also discovered they were petsitting a dog at my property, which is a lease violation with a $300 fine per day.  I found this out during pre-inspection but for now chose not to make it an issue given they are a week away from moving. 

Thanks, @Natalie Kolodij

I stumbled over this thread from a few years back on DMSH election for costs incurred prior to placing a property in service. It was a heated debate with no consensus:    https://www.biggerpockets.com/...

What's the interpretation of the codes/regulations today? Can pre-service costs be expensed if they meet the $2,500 threshold? The RE tax professional helping with my returns says it's ok. My gut wants to verify. A bit hesitant to expense most of the rehab costs this way.

@JD Martin, thank you for your response, I only wish I saw it sooner. By the time I read it, I already had a lease extension signed (at double rent). I do like the idea of signing a new lease and then going through early termination when the time comes. I'll keep this in mind for future situations. 

In general, there is a lot of wisdom in your post, particularly on landlord-tenant relationships. Thank you for this perspective, it's helpful.

I wish I could show the place while still occupied. Not this time. During the three years living here, these guys never made an effort to decorate or furnish the place to make it look like home. It's just unattractive and would likely discourage the quality of tenants I'm targeting. I'll have to wait until they move out.

@Josh Young, @Theresa Harris, @Nathan Gesner - Thanks for the advice, this is helpful.  I'm leaning now towards accepting their double rent offer, and just conditioning the extension on them allowing us to do some repairs while they are still occupying the property. This way we can cut the time needed to get the place rent-ready.  

In terms of the peak season being questioned here - this neighborhood is zoned to top-notch schools and is highly desirable among families with school-age kids. However, schools start here early - on August 1, and most rental traffic takes place here during late spring-early summer. Families who are responsible and plan their moves  ahead of time (basically the type of tenants I want) tend to have a new place locked in by July.  

Would you guys agree to extend tenants' lease by six weeks (until early July), knowing this makes you miss the peak rental season in this specific area? And knowing that in this case you'd be marketing your property at the same time as your next-door rental, thus having two properties  competing for the same high-caliber tenant pool?  And knowing that you'd have to wait with the showings until the tenants move out and the place is cleaned up, because otherwise it is not presentable? 

And if you don't agree to extend, you'd be subjecting a family to a significant logistical nightmare. They would be moving to another state in July, but can't leave earlier since the husband has to finish his medical residency first. If I don't agree to extend, they'll have to put their belongings in storage, find and move into a short term rental for the remaining medical residency term, while also shopping for a place to rent in another state. This is difficult. 

We had these tenants for three years. They pay on time and generally were good, but they did start a bit of a drama last month that required us to consult with an attorney. All good now, although the aftertaste remains. 

We explained to them that lease extension this time of the year would hurt us. In response, they offered to pay double rent for June. I'm scratching my head. The extra month of rent would definitely help, but missing out on the main tenant demographic for this area (families with school-age kids) is still worrisome. My husband is absolutely against extending and insists we should think about ourselves first. 

What would you do if you were in our shoes?