Vandalism/Tenant Neglect or System Failure?

Recently I've come across a few interesting situations on property inspections where owners are pointing fingers in certain directions (or would like to):

• Broken (snapped) solid plastic toilet seat (Pressalit style) - I'd never seen one of these snap.
• Crack in ceramic lid of toilet & toilet bowl
• Skirtings coming off walls
• Cracked floor tiles on veranda/missing tiles on vertical apron
• Gate hinge cracked

Spoiler: Who caused the damage?

I'll let you know shortly

 

Excellent subject area!
Q1. Are we allowed to know the age of the fittings and fixtures?
thx.

 

As a guide, the age at failure:

1. Less than 5 years
2. About 20 years (hairline crack through glaze)
3. About 10 years
4. About 15 years
   
5. About 20 years

 

So, all pretty old except the toilet seat.

 

This is fun

Posted my vote

 

why would skirtings coming off walls be a tenants fault? these easily detach due to moving foundation.

 

There are no structural issues with the building. Skirting comprises 2 x 1m lengths on a landing.

 

I just saw this part... but can't change my vote.
Given the age, id say it's all wear and tear.
If under 12 months old, I'd point at the tenant

 

Tenant may be responsible for some of these or perhaps all. Doesn’t matter, first rule is landlord will be paying.

 

Or poorly built or cheap fittings used.

 

I've lived in houses where skirting has come away from the wall and there was no other structural issue.

 

Yeah I don't really think this is the right way to determining who is liable for the damage.

"What" the damage is doesn't legally determine liability - its the cause of the damage that does. And it can really vary by situation and item.

 

@thatbum - rarely does the PM understand the cause of the damage other than 'it was in working order when the tenant moved in as evidenced on the ingoing inspection report'.

I'd agree that without context, it's only a guess - that's why I posted it.

 

100% agree with both above posts. Best way is to get a professional to report on the likely cause, though realistically a clever tenant will get away with all these things unless it's really obviously been damaged by them.

 

As first order of business, I remove all, toilets and seats, doors, yards and power and sewrage.....and hot water, this negates most problems

 

The key to all of the above 'failures' was either lack of maintenance or system failure - adhesives fail, lack of grease/oil on hinge (combined with a bit of building movement), toilet seat snapped when sat on (not seen that one before but I heard it).

Some things may last forever, others just give up unexpectedly.