Do I or the Tenant pay for this?

Discussion in 'Property Management' started by Kael, 27th Jun, 2015.

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  1. Patsy

    Patsy Member

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    Depends on lease agreement and state you are in, check with your PM
     
  2. HUGH72

    HUGH72 Well-Known Member

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    I would be much more concerned about the door being removed and the hole in the wall in a new house. Are they paying for these items?
    A $50 handle coming off isn't important other than the fact the pm should have advised you it had come off.
     
  3. Darlinghurst Boy

    Darlinghurst Boy Well-Known Member

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    One wonders why they took the door off in the first place?
    As for the hole in the wall how did that happen??
     
  4. Kael

    Kael Well-Known Member

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    The tenant has stated that she would fix these issues if she was to vacate but she has no plans on vacating right now.

    When asked about it, she said it was because her kids were in and out of the room all the time (she has 4 kids) and it was easier to have it off but then said she'd put it back on straight away. PM is keeping an eye on her though and has just issued notice to increase rent by $20 per week, so I'm happy right now. Haha.
     
  5. Phantom

    Phantom Well-Known Member

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    The grey area isn't whether or not they intended it. They grey area is whether you can prove which one it is. You might say the tenant broke it. The tenant will say it just fell off. Now the question is can you prove they broke it? Especially in this situation where it has already been replaced, there is no way to see the old handle to see if it snapped off (tenant fault) or if it just wore away (landlord cost).
    Even with periodical PM inspections they would never spot a withering door handle on a cupboard.
    That is the grey area of property management.

     
  6. thatbum

    thatbum Well-Known Member

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    I hear what you're saying about there possibly being an evidentiary issue. In my experience though, I can't remember the last time I was fairly sure something had happened but wasn't able to get enough evidence to prove it on the balance of probabilities.

    Usually, its just wishful thinking on behalf of one party or another. For example, even in your door handle snapping off scenario, I still don't see how its more likely to be the tenant's fault.
     
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  7. mja

    mja Well-Known Member

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    Modify your agency agreement with them and change the authorised amount they can spend to $0, so they have to ask you every time.