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Rental Property Damages:  How can a Landlord Determine charges?

Marble Team Author ImageAuthor Image
Written by
Marble Team
Daniel Li
January 30, 2023

One of the most important aspects of holding a tenant accountable for damage happens before the tenant even moves in. The move-in inspection records the state of the rental home when a tenant moves in and any issues that may already be present.

You can utilize a rental property walk-through checklist to find any property damage brought on by a renter. This form should be filled out at the beginning of a tenancy so that you and your renter have a record of the property's state.

Considerations For Determining Damage

Knowing how much to charge for property damage is a crucial next step. In any case, you should look into each repair to determine how much it will cost. Here are some things you can consider. 

Can a Landlord Recoup Costs for Usual Wear and Tear?

In most situations, a landlord cannot charge for wear and tear. In most cases, landlord-tenant rules forbid making tenants financially liable for wear and tear. However, the precise demarcation line can differ from one state to the next.

Damage vs. Wear and Tear

Take a look at these examples of damages versus wear-and-tear.

Wear-and-Tear

Damage

The Bottom Line:

Being a landlord will probably mean cleaning up renters' messes or fixing incidental damage to your units now and then. Still, if you're prepared to figure out how much to charge tenants for repairs or replacements, you should be able to solve the issue. 

There are numerous things to consider; therefore, figuring out how much a landlord might expect in damages might be difficult. However, Marble's Move-in/Move-out Walkthrough checklist, Maintenance tracking tool, 24/7 support line, and other features help landlords stay organized and aware of any damages to their rental property.

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