It's a common scenario in your Phoenix rental property: a resident has moved out of a rental
home, leaving the property a mess or damaged.
On top of the necessary cleaning the house badly needs, you discover that interior
elements like the carpets and walls have sustained damage beyond normal wear
and tear. Frustrated, you may console yourself with the thought that your
resident is responsible for the cost of the repairs.
Or are they?
Depending on how long ago you installed the carpet or
painted the walls, they may not be responsible to pay for or replace anything.
Who is responsible to pay for repairing damaged interiors
depends almost entirely upon the “useful life” of the damaged item. Home
interiors are made up of many elements that have a range of life expediencies.
Paint, carpet, and other flooring wear out over time, and so their useful life
can be quite short. This is particularly true for rental homes, as the standard
number of years is shortened when the home is lived in by multiple occupants
not just one family.
Most carpets used in rental homes have a useful life of
about five years. If your resident manages to damage the carpet within the
first five years after the date of installation, they may be responsible for
the pro-rated share of the cost of replacement, or for cleaning costs if the
carpet is simply very dirty.
But if the carpet is older than five years and needs to be
replaced, chances are that no matter how negligent your resident has been, the
courts will almost always rule in their favor. Generally speaking, if the
damaged carpet is over five years old, you probably won’t be able to make a
convincing case that your resident is responsible for the repairs. If that is
true, then you will bear the full cost of repairs yourself.
The best course of action is to replace the carpet in your
rental home on a regular basis. It’s also important to do regular property
evaluations to monitor the condition of the property, including the carpets and
other interior features. At Real Property Management Phoenix (WV), we take a proactive
approach to property maintenance and repair. That means that we will work with
you and your resident to keep a close eye on the property, complete necessary
maintenance when needed, and inform you to replace worn items when their useful
life is over.
For all of your Phoenix Real Estate & Phoenix Property Management Needs Contact:
Real Property Management Phoenix (WV)
www.rpmwvphx.com
info@rpmwvphx.com
602-358-8130
