Did your tenant smash the window of your rental property? That calls for less anger and more proactive steps. Landlords often face trouble with their tenants. Some renters have also complained of erratic behavior leading to property damage.
As a landlord, keep in mind that any damage to a renter’s property falls under the renter’s insurance. Putting it up as a criterion before renting can save you the trouble of legal expenses and other hassles. If you want to know more, Surex can help you learn about renter’s insurance in more detail.
Now, there are various ways to handle the damages. You can take proactive steps to prevent them beforehand or know the best damage control tips.
Perform the ICE Method
Tenants can sometimes create a lot of havoc, causing damage to your property. In such scenarios, instead of jumping to a conclusion, perform the ICE method. This can help you reach logical conclusions. It includes:
- Identify
- Categorize
- Eliminate
Identify
Is the tenant in question actually destroying your property, or are you jumping to conclusions? At times, misconceptions can creep in. Therefore, you must identify the root of this information before taking any affirmative action against the said tenant.
Categorize
The next step involves assessing the facts. The best way to do so is to categorize the damage situation. In these times, waste no minute and initiate a one-on-one inspection. Set up a meeting, and inform them 24 hours in advance.
Evaluate the situation to make sure that you have plenty of proof about the wreckage. Having pictorial and live evidence can help build your case on the renter’s distrust.
Eliminate
Now that you have seen the damage, you have enough evidence to assess if the renter is at fault or was the damage from other sources. For example, the damage to the door can be from2 them slipping and crashing against it.
Asking and evaluating can help eliminate rash decisions such as eviction or an unwanted lawsuit. Of course, if there are genuine concerns and damages due to your tenant, proactive steps are necessary.
These steps can come in handy when you are dealing with damages to your property.
Do Not Let Anger Take Over
Getting angry before the ICE method can turn out to be a mistake. It can lead to a verbal or physical rift which isn’t good for your case. Also, eviction is not always the answer, as other legal procedures can cost you plenty. Instead, ask experts on how to tackle the situation till you have sufficient proof.
Documenting is Key
If the tenant is found guilty of damaging your property, there are more steps to handling the property wreckage. Here are your step-to-step process:
Document It
Videos are living proof of all incidents. If you want to establish your case of property wreckage, make sure to get it on tape. These videos should have a date stamp and a timestamp to fortify your documents. These videos should have all the proof of every inch of damage dealt with your property.
Check for Repair Charges
Repairing the damages is necessary to make your property leasable. Meet up with some expert repairmen to value the estimates for the damage control. You can evaluate the bids on your property’s restoration value and find the most affordable price for high-quality services. In case this goes on into a court case, make sure to keep the records handy as proof.
Know About Your Security Deposits
Recouping damage expenses can help cover a significant portion of property restoration costs. As a landlord, you charge renters a security deposit. However, if the damages to your property amassed an amount beyond this deposit amount, reclaiming it might not be too helpful.
You can recoup your damages by sending a damage expenses bill to the at-fault tenant. Communicating with the tenant can also help put you under a good light in court. If the damages are in the tenant’s rented property, their renter’s insurance is liable to pay for the damages.
Being a landlord with a renter’s policy criteria can help you recoup the expenses with the tenant’s insurance. However, if your tenant does not have any policy in their name, your last resort is to call your broker and discuss your homeowner’s insurance limits.
Small Claims Court
If you opt for Ontario Small Claims Court to claim your tenant damage, your claim must be $25,000 or lower. To receive this amount, you can directly sue the at-fault tenant in the Small Claims Court. Lawyers are available for the cases, but it is up to you to hire one for your court case.
Your quality of the documentation plays a pivotal role in the judge ruling in your favor. It can award you with the damage charges for the property restoration. For this, you need to present proof of violation from the renter’s side, the severity of the damages, and non-compliance issues, if any.
The following documentation can come in handy if you are taking your tenant to the Small Claims Court:
- A copy of the tenant’s ID
- The signed lease of agreement
- Proof of new orders on the lease. These orders should be under the Government body.
- Photographic images of the damages
- Quotes and documents from local contractors indicating the approximate expenses for property restoration.
If your tenant is disrespectful towards their belongings, they might cause damages to your property and wreck your belongings. Therefore it is crucial to find renters who are responsible residents. Run some calculations on the losses sustained by broken furniture and other details. You can present it at the small claims court to help you receive compensation from the at-fault tenant.
Not to forget, at all costs, make sure your future tenants are carrying a renter’s insurance to pay off for damages and breakage within your property.
