Assessing Tenant Damages
I did a complete gut on a multi-family brownstone so the tenants moved into an apartment that was brand-new, with all the current amenities. The first tenants are moving out and I’d like to get a sense of whether three issues exceed “normal wear and tear” and should be covered by their security deposit: 1)…
I did a complete gut on a multi-family brownstone so the tenants moved into an apartment that was brand-new, with all the current amenities.
The first tenants are moving out and I’d like to get a sense of whether three issues exceed “normal wear and tear” and should be covered by their security deposit:
1) Floors…there were 2 girls in the apt. who ALWAYS wore high heels. The result is hundreds of tiny dings in the floor, which is primarily beech with cherry in the bedrooms…really hard woods! Whether I resand them now or not, I feel like this is excessive damage but would love the forum’s input.
2) Painting…while the apartment is going to be repainted for new tenants, these people violated the lease by smoking in the apartment…not ALL the time, but bouts of days at a time throughout the past 18 months. Should they contribute at all to the cost of repainting?
3) Stainless steel fridge: They must have used some cheap magnets that left really, really bad scratches on the fridge door. I’m not even sure how to remedy that, but I think that’s beyond normal wear and tear, right?
I want to be fair to both them and me, so thanks for your input.
Actually I’ve heard stainless steel appliances scratch like crazy, which is why brushed stainless is a better bet.
Landlord here:
1. floors — wear and tear
2. paint — as you say, you have to repaint anyway. Moot point.
3. fridge — hard to judge without seeing it. Will you need to replace the fridge?
maybe normal wear and tear for a college dorm. did you get a higher rent for renting to roommates? if so, then it’s normal wear and tear. if not, then live and learn.
Nicks in the floor sounds like wear and tear. I’m a little skeptical that you really got the floors you think you did. I wear high heels indoors on my wood floors, and have never seen any damage like what you’re describing. Unless these tenants weighed 400 lbs each I don’t see how they could dent a real hardwood floor just with high heels.
Smoking in the apt, if the lease specified otherwise, is something they should compensate you for, including painting and cleaning.
If the scratches on the refrigerator can’t be buffed out, that doesn’t sound like normal wear and tear. I’ve had a s/s refrigerator for three years and it has not a scratch on it. I think you’d have to treat one pretty badly to get deep scratches in it.
wear and tear.
Another landlord placing her vote in the ‘normal wear and tear’ column.
I think if you cant clean the SS refrigerator then it’s damaged.
BJ, only in Manhattan can one charge top dollar for a 1-2 bedroom apt with vct tiles, yellow appliances and funky carpets.
btw.. i think that it sounds like your contractor installed some cherry veneer engineered wood flooring..the stuff sold at discount flooring stores…it not the fault of your tenant, and if you get it sanded you may be looking at particle board
Sorry for been overly sarcastic, but
Why one would spend tons of money on gut renovation, cherry floors and SS fridge to rent it out after this?
from the NPV prospective: you will not get much more for such apartment. Definitely not the price of gut renovation.
From amortization point of view – the stuff will be ruined at the same rate.
Am I completely wrong? We just got two family. To rent the top floor, I cleaned, carpets, sanded and resealed hardwood, painted walls and this is pretty much it.