Re: charging for damages - Landlord Forum thread

Re: charging for damages by Anna Mouse on March 15, 2012 @15:03

Okay!

I searched and searched and finally found this website: http://www.bni-maryland.org/Documents/Tenant_Intro_Packet.pdf

I even read through the dang thing and found that it did say in Maryland you can charge for your own labor.

I want to make a note to what I said earlier. Be certain that you charge less for cleaning that what 3 or 4 services would charge you. While searching it was said that maybe minimum wage was a fair price for cleaning? In that case I will NOT be lifting one sponge or spraying one product for that price. I will absolutly hire a cleaning service and be sure to be there during the time they clean doing other things that need to be done. That way the person off the street with no skills will be sure to do it right!

It all comes down to looking at the thing through the judges eyes. The judge should be fair to both parties. Error on the side of being very fair if you do the work yourself. Consider the skill necessary for the task..(back to my rant on minimum wage and no skills for cleaning. It is clearly a no brain job. However all people have brains and I have seen many people not be able to do the job right) This makes me want to do it myself but if I only get paid minimum wage then I will pay and supervis.e

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Re: charging for damages by Anonymous on March 15, 2012 @18:15	[ Reply ]

Thank you very much!! Your right there are somethings it's just easier to hire the person to do it. But with this situation it was me doing it to have it ready for the new tenant. The old one held over and it created a situation where I worked all night and delayed the move in of the new tenant. Yes, I know I can charge him, but the old tenant is not one that cares what is on his record. So, anything over and above the security deposit I will be eating. Even if I get a judgement, I won't be paid. So, minimizing my costs was part of the reasoning.

Re: charging for damages by Anna Mouse on March 15, 2012 @18:58	[ Reply ]

Just so you know I wasn't giving you a bad time. More so thinking out loud after reading the information. One point that was mentioned is that in hiring a company that lets say charges $40 an hour, that a judge would consider that the company had overhead costs. So the judge may consider that even though the company charges $40 they may only pay their people $12. I also feel frustrated that often times when you hire someone that poor work is done. So frustrated that it be easier to do yourself. Bottom line until you find your handyman and cleaning person you can trust we have to supervise.