FAQ: What if a Tenant Damages the Property?
Damage and fair “wear and tear” to a rental property are inevitable. And, in some cases, they can cause quite a headache for a landlord.
It’s the tenant’s duty to report any damages to SMART.
What’s Fair Wear and Tear
The first thing you need to do is differentiate between what is ‘fair wear and tear’ and what is actual damage. The law is becoming more defined in regard to fair wear and tear, so with more rigid guidelines in place, it is no longer down to the landlord’s or SMART’s discretion to classify wear and tear.
A tenant can no longer be charged – or have any money deducted from their security deposit – for damage that would have inevitably occurred as a result of the property being inhabited.
For example, if the walls of a property appear to be lightly scuffed at the end of a tenancy, the landlord could not reasonably accuse the tenant of causing the damage – minor marks such as these are to be expected in a property that’s been lived in.
REMINDER: A tenant can no longer be charged – or have any money deducted from their security deposit – for damage that would have inevitably occurred as a result of the property being inhabited.
SMART’s Policy on Damages and Tenant Responsibility
The security deposit that SMART accepts from the tenant at move in will usually be sufficient to handle “minor repairs”.
When a tenant leaves/vacates the property owing money for rent or damages, money will be deducted accordingly. More often than not, the tenant will receive their security deposit back in full.
At “move-in” an inspection is done where SMART’s licensed and permitted Property Manager(s) document the condition of the property. A “walk out” inspection is also done when a tenant is vacating the property. At that time, besides normal “wear and tear” if there is damage done, it will be duly noted and photos were taken and a deduction will be taken from the security deposit.
Have any questions for our team? Give us a call: 702-750-9725
SMART is open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm.
