One of the worst situations that many owners have found themselves in is learning that their tenant has damaged their rental property.

Sadly, when this situation occurs it’s up to the landlord to act quickly and professionally because if the damage is left unattended it could result in the problem not getting resolved and the owner paying for more to fix the damage than they imaged.

If you’ve learned that your rental property was recently damaged by your tenant, this article will provide you with steps to follow for dealing with and resolving this problem.

Step 1 – Document the Damage

You must document all damage to your rental property with high-resolution photos and video just so you have plenty of evidence of the damage should you need to face your tenant in court.

Step 2 – Get Repair Quotes

After documenting the damage, you should next get repair quotes to find out what it’s going to cost to get the damages to your rental property repaired.

Step 3 – Consult with Your Tenant

If you have a good relationship with your tenant, you should sit down with them to discuss the damage to your rental property and arrange a payment plan for them to cover the cost of repairs to the rental.

Step 4 – Deduct from The Security Deposit

Let’s say that your tenant isn’t willing to pay for the damages, in this case, you should deduct the cost of the repairs from their security deposit and if the remaining balance is more than the security deposit you should consider taking them to court.

Step 5 – File an Eviction

Problem tenants are without a doubt a strong case for eviction especially if they still post a serious threat to the rental property.

If you’ve found that your tenant is still damaging your rental property after you’ve repaired the damages you shouldn’t think twice about filing an eviction or offering them cash for keys to get them to move out of the rental.

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For property management in the Central Valley contact RPM Central Valley at (209) 572-2222 or click here to connect with us online.