Assessment of Damage by Tenant - Landlord Forum thread 352494

Assessment of Damage by Tenant by Michelle (AZ) on May 28, 2017 @01:15

Ok - I'm a good landlord, anytime there's an issue I send someone out right away - or as soon as the person can be scheduled. If it's an emergency, I look for someone who can respond faster. Well, my tenant didn't know her toilet was leaking until it finally leaked through the floor to the first floor ceiling creating some damage to the ceiling and warping a cabinet shelf. Is this damage something that can be assessed and taken from the deposit? Or am I gonna bite the bullet on this?

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Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant by Kathleen on May 28, 2017 @01:45	[ Reply ]

Bite the bullet. Some tenants honestly are not observant unless the sewer has backed up into the tub or a rat runs across the toe of their high heeled shoe.

Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant by BOB on May 28, 2017 @02:20	[ Reply ]

That is what Renter Ins. is for. It's in the LPA lease

Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant

Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant by Anonymous on May 28, 2017 @06:49	[ Reply ]

Did the tenant cause the leak? No? Then it's the landlords responsibility to keep the plumbing in repair. Have you been inspecting your property?

Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant by AnonymousFL on May 28, 2017 @13:07	[ Reply ]

I would talk to the plumber who repaired the leak to find out if the leak would have been obvious before it leaked through the ceiling. If he says it would have been obvious, then I think you could press the tenant to be partially responsible due to negligence. You should consider how much damage could have been avoided if it was reported earlier, but if that ends up being a small amount, let it go. However, if the plumber cannot say for certain that the tenant should have noticed, then you really have no recourse but to pay for the entire repair. The tenant did not cause the damage or fail to take action to minimize the damage by notifying you. These things happen.

Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant

Re: Assessment of Damage by Tenant by nobody (manitoba, canada) on May 30, 2017 @08:39	[ Reply ]

How long was the toilet leaking? A few years ago, my toilet flusher somehow got caught up wrong and the toilet ran all night (without me noticing as I was asleep). I awoke to several inches of water on the bathroom floor, and a furious landlord informing me that the water had leaked through into the bathroom of the tenant below me. But it legitimately wasn't my fault, sometimes these things happen!