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Should I Let Tenant Fix Damages After Inspection?

Landlord Advice

Managing a rental property proper planning and adhering to certain principles if at all you don’t want to get into problems with your tenants or perhaps even the law. Either during the tenancy period or upon termination of the lease, it is the responsibility of the landlord or property manager to have inspections on the property conducted to check that everything is in good order. In such a case, a landlord is mostly required to provide a 48hours notice to the tenant in case they need to perform an inspection. This can be done in the presence or absence of the tenant and is a good way to keep things in order.

In some cases, you might discover some faults or damages on the property after the routine or end of lease inspection, which the tenant may or may not be aware of. This is where most landlords ask questions such as, “Should I let tenant fix damages after inspection?” Well, the truth is that it depends on your preference and your relationship with your tenants. Below, we look at the good and the bad in letting your tenants fix their damages, but first of all, what is the importance of property inspections?

Importance of Inspection

As earlier pointed out, you may as the landlord need to perform inspections on your rental property during occupancy and when the tenant moves out. In the first scenario, regular inspections help detect and fix damages before they escalate to something worse. It helps you to ensure that everything is functioning well, as a means of making sure that your clients are getting the best out of their tenancy. Inspections also help enhance safety by detecting health and safety hazards before they can cause harm to property occupants. Routine inspections can also help control illegal dealings within the property, meaning enhanced security.

When a tenant moves out, you need to inspect the property for unreasonable damages and filth, which you can then charge for against the tenant’s security deposit. If you detect damages, it is important to capture them on camera for evidence, just in case the tenant disputes at a later date. You should not return the security deposit without conducting a proper inspection to check for damages and if any, determine the cost estimate for repairs, upon vacation by your tenant.

Letting the Tenant Fix Damages

Whether or not you should let a tenant fix for detected damages is more of a matter of choice rather than a requirement. Some tenants prefer handling damages on their own in order to save money. However, you should have a conversation with your tenant if you intend to let them fix the damages, and let them know the quality standards you prefer. Let them understand the consequences of sub-quality repairs and confirm that they are willing to take the risk. You can even recommend to them, some of the best and most qualified technicians that you know of for the said job.

Pros and Cons – Letting your tenants handle the damages minimizes the chances of getting into a dispute if the work is well done. You encourage a healthy tenant-landlord relationship by so doing. In case you’re dealing with a vacating tenant, they might even recommend you and your property to other prospective tenants in future. The downside is that a tenant may decide to have shoddy repairs done, or use sub-quality material in the name of saving money, which is something you might not be OK with.

Catering For the Damages

You also have the option of paying for the repairs and charging the client, depending on whose fault the damage was. Most landlords and property managers find this more convenient; since the job is done according to their specifications, or under their supervision.

Pros and Cons – Having the damages fixed by your own chosen technicians and your own preferred materials can guarantee you of better quality repairs and condition of your property. Since you are in control, you can have the job done faster or at your preferred convenience, say in time for a new tenant to move in. The downside is that you can encounter a loss in case of underestimated costs. Additionally, a tenant may think that they are being exploited in some instances when you do costly repairs and charge them.

Conclusion

Should I let tenant fix damages after inspection? – It may not be so advisable to have your tenants fix damages. Doing so may be putting your property, its occupants, and perhaps even the tenant of interest at risk in terms of health and safety. But it still remains a personal call to make.