Common damage problems left by tenants
Posted on 9th August 2022 at 15:39
Damage to property is never something that a landlord wants to deal with, however, knowledge is power. Knowing which damage problems are most common will prevent future headaches.
While general wear-and-tear is to be expected, damage is a different story.
Here are six of the most common damage problems left by tenants.
Accidental flooding
According to a study by Total Landlord Insurance (TLI) the most common damage caused by tenants is flooding. Specifically, the flooding is caused by overfilling the bath and leaks caused by cracked shower trays.
Flooding is a difficult problem to deal with. If the damage is severe, no tenants will be able to occupy the property before the issue is fully dealt with.
Multiple other damage problems are likely to occur if the flooding is significant. Therefore, it is important to keep this in mind and put in place measures to protect against such an accident.
Spillages on carpets
A glass of red wine is a very good thing. However, turned upside down, it can ruin a pleasant evening. Cleaning bills or expensive carpet replacements are often the result of red wine spillage.
While the adults may spill the occasional glass of red wine, children are more likely to mark or damage carpets in their pursuit of fun.
It’s worth bearing this in mind when installing or replacing carpets. Take into consideration the suitability of your carpets, given your tenants’ requirements.
Damage to walls
The sofa went into the room, so it must be able to come back out, right? We’ve all had that struggle and scraped some paint off the wall or left a nasty dent
.
Unfortunately, this is a common damage problem left behind by tenants. As a result, this is something landlords should consider when deciding to paint or wallpaper the property.
Untreated condensation
Most of us like to fire up the kettle several times day for that all-important caffeine hit. Perhaps we’ll boil a big bowl of pasta if it was a particularly long day?
Condensation is common but left unchecked, can cause multiple issues including black mould and damp smell. Unfortunately, this is a common problem that landlords must deal with.
Inform tenants on how to appropriately deal with condensation. This will help avoid prolonged condensation causing damage.
Damage to fixtures and fittings
Unfortunately, accidental or intentional misuse of fixtures and fittings is a reality of property management. Tenants often leave damaged fixtures that landlords must foot the bill for.
It is worth considering how this will affect you and plan accordingly.
Fire damage caused by tenants
While not as common as the aforementioned problems, fire damage is serious and will incur a large cost. Even a small amount of fire damage can be extremely destructive and lead to a multitude of other issues. Negligent behaviour can never really be ruled out; therefore, this risk always exists.
It is therefore important to have measures in place to avoid any kind of fire damage to your property. Preparedness is preferable over regret!
These are just some of the most common damage problems left by tenants that landlords must deal with. While we don’t want to leave you with a doom and gloom attitude about what could go wrong, it is always good to be informed. Informed decisions often avoid headaches in the future!
If you have any questions about void works or building maintenance, please give us a call on 01604 380 930 or email us on info@srgillbuilders.co.uk.
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