Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair

Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair by Stacey (Mo) on April 18, 2012 @11:05

I posted on here last week about a couple that had moved into my rental home. The male and female had been there for about a month and had begun fighting. The female kicked the male out because he became physical with her. He returned later and kicked the front door in.

My question is about the repair of the door. What can I charge? Can I have the full door replaced and bill it to them? Do I have to wait and take it out of security deposit at the end of their lease?

Also, should I have filed a police report for property damage or anything like that?

Sorry if these questions seem simple but I am a first time landlord out of necessity, because I was not able to sell my home and had no choice but to rent it out. This was my home and not just some rental property. I want to do what is right and legal.

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Re: Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair by Jake on April 18, 2012 @11:11	[ Reply ]

I believe I remember this one. It seems I advised you to make the repair and bill your tenant for immediate payment. You will not be able to make a police report if these were tenants. Do not let the tenant tell you they do not have the money.

Re: Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair

Re: Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair by Anonymous on April 18, 2012 @11:18	[ Reply ]

You can charge either person with the cost of the repair or hold it against the security deposit. Does the door have to be completely replaced or just the frame? If the actual door is cracked/split etc, then replace the entire door. Front doors are one of those things that are meant to stay for a long time without the need for replacement. The depreciation on it would be small, I imagine. My neighbor just replaced her front door on her 3 family home for cosmetic purposes. The old door, which was still very solid, had been there for about 30 years. Did the female call the police when the incident happened? If so, then they would probably have notated the broken door in their report.

Re: Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair

Re: Tenant kicked in door can I charge them for repair by Micah on April 18, 2012 @13:45	[ Reply ]

I have language in my lease that states that all damage repairs, fees, etc are to be taken out before rent. This means that I will only accept payment in full and will start eviction proceedings if they don't comply. It may not hold up, but it usually scares them into paying up front.

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