What to Do About Damage in Rental Properties

Finding damage in rental properties is a disappointing experience. Even if you’ve done the walk-through, signed the lease, and begun to move in, there’s no guarantee that you’re going to spot damage until it’s too late. Luckily, you have options. While damage in rental properties is discouraging, it may not be something you have to live with forever.

What Can You Do About Damage in Rental Properties?

So you’ve found some damage from the last tenant in your rental property. What do you do? Here are your options.

1. Document it

This should always be your first step. If you don’t document the damage, you may well be held responsible for it after you move out, even if it wasn’t your fault. Because of this, it’s essential to document it first and decide what to do with it later. If you notice the damage when you’re first moving in, don’t move anything near it.

Instead, take a photo (with the date stamp feature of your camera on) and write out a statement describing the damage. Send both of these to your landlord or property manager, explaining that you noticed the damage while moving in. This way, you have written proof that you reported the damage and that it existed before you moved into the property.

2. Contact your landlord

Depending on what the damage is, your landlord may opt to or be required to fix it. Certain things, like broken windows, rickety stairs, or faulty wiring, are all dangers that need to be fixed immediately and on the landlord’s dime. In these cases, your best bet is to notify your landlord and wait for the problem to be resolved. In the meantime, don’t do anything that could exacerbate the damage.

3. Fix it

If you can, fix the damage – after you document it for your landlord, of course. Say, for example, the damage is simply a series of large nail holes in a bedroom wall. Since this is a simple fix, you could just plug and paint the holes on your own. Your landlord is likely to even pay for the supplies! While you shouldn’t attempt to fix major problems on your own, small problems are fair game.

4. Live with it

In some cases, you’ll simply have to live with the damage. Rental properties see a lot of turnover, and it’s not uncommon for small issues like scuffed floors or worn cabinets to go unaddressed. In these instances, it’s best just to let it go and do what you can to make the rental more comfortable.

While rental properties are often far from perfect, you don’t have to live in a damaged house forever. These simple tips can help you address the damage as soon as you move in.