Are tenants responsible for re-caulking worn or damaged caulking?

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Are tenants responsible for re-caulking worn or damaged caulking?

Frankie Parker
Member since 2021 · 4 posts · 3 votes

To make the answers unbiased for either side, I would like to ask this question both as a tenant and landlord. Please be impartial in your answers and answer as if you were both the tenant and landlord as well.

Are tenants responsible for re-caulking worn or damaged caulking? Let's say my tenant has stayed in my rental property for 2+ years and the caulking around the house is breaking down, cracking/splitting, and some caulking in the bathroom has turned black.

1. Is the tenant responsible for re-caulking all areas where the caulking has broken down? (This caulking breaking down was due to time so I assume the tenant is not responsible correct?)

2. Is the tenant responsible for re-caulking the areas in the caulking in the bathroom that have turned black due to time and regular use? (not sure about this one)

3. Is the tenant responsible for re-caulking the areas in the caulking that have split or broken down due to foundation shifting? (I assume not, correct?)

Thank you!

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Jim K.
Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
4y

@Frankie Parker

1. No, that's the LL.

2. No, that's the LL.

3. No, that's the LL.

Expecting a tenant to know the nozzle from the hook on a caulking gun is a recipe for rental disaster. The LL is supposed to be catching damage and degradation during inspections and either taking care of it personally or paying someone else to do it.

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  • Jim K.
    Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker

    1. No, that's the LL.

    2. No, that's the LL.

    3. No, that's the LL.

    Expecting a tenant to know the nozzle from the hook on a caulking gun is a recipe for rental disaster. The LL is supposed to be catching damage and degradation during inspections and either taking care of it personally or paying someone else to do it.

    15Reply
  • Bjorn AhlbladPro Member
    Investor · Shelton, WA · Member since 2017 · 6k+ posts · 6k+ votes
    4y

    No

    1Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    4y

    No to all of those.  The tenant needs to notify you if there is a problem, but you should also be inspecting these regularly.  If the caulking is newer and going moldy, then talk to the tenant about humidity issues.  Make sure they know to do things like to keep the exhaust fans in the bathroom on for 15 minutes after they shower, use the vent above the stove.

    5Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    4y

    The black is from mold, not from the age of caulking. It should be cleaned regularly by the tenant.

    I would not expect a tenant to know how to caulk properly. This is a Landlord responsibility.

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    3Reply
  • Adam Martin
    Rental Property Investor · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    When looking for things that can be charged back to the tenant ask yourself what they did wrong that you can prove for the damage to occur.  They didn’t magically age the caulk or cause the foundation to shift so there is no way they are responsible.  I’m struggling to even think of a way I could get by with charging a tenant to caulk and how it would be worth my time to try with how cheap of a fix it is.  

    3Reply
  • Scott Mac
    Austin, TX · Member since 2019 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    4y

    Hi Frankie,

    Use the recommended caulking for each place.

    Such as Mold and Mildew resistant where needed: https://www.homedepot.com/b/Paint-Paint-Supplies-Caulk-Sealants-Caulk/Mold-and-Mildew-Resistant/N-5yc1vZcibhZ1z17g30

    Knowledge is King: https://gesealants.com/

    And if you DIY, and there is  lot to do, consider buying (at least) a 7 to 1 caulk gun. It will make the job a lot easier.

    Good Luck!

    0Reply
  • Rosston Smith
    Investor · Warner Robins, GA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 490 votes
    4y

    The landlord is responsible to all of those.

    0Reply
  • Justin Fox
    Software Developer · Vidor, TX · Member since 2015 · 922 posts · 639 votes
    4y

    "Professional" painters can't caulk correctly, do you really want a tenant doing it?

    2Reply
  • Bud Gaffney
    Rental Property Investor · Boston, MA · Member since 2019 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    No x 3

    0Reply
  • Paul Vail
    The Triangle, NC · Member since 2021 · 193 posts · 117 votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker - ask yourself: would YOU want THEM repairing/fixing YOUR property?   Do you trust them to work on your home?   I mean, if they were professional painters or handy-people, maybe.  They could do it in lieu of rent reduction.  If you would trust these particular tenants to work on your home, then sure -- let them caulk away.  But aside from the mold, none of the caulk wear/tear you describe is their responsibility.

    I worked in a hardware store for 7 years as my first retirement job.  Based on the questions I routinely answered, there's a substantial segment of the population that has no business changing toliet paper rolls, let along left unsupervised with a caulk gun.

    Now, if you are the tenant, can you do a professional job of recaulking?   Will you remove/scrap all of the old failing caulk and surface, clean the surface properly, buy and use a decent/superior caulk for the location, apply it when the weather conditions are appropriate, and perhaps paint/seal if the location and materials call for it?  Will it look like a professional job with a nice 1/4" or so bead, applied sufficiently to fill the crack/seam/joint (but not use an 1" wide 2" deep 'bead' because the carpentry/masonry/trim/backer-rod wasn't done properly and the caulk is used to hide crappy craftsmanship)?   Or would you be better off to delegate that task to a professional that might charge $xx/hr for their years of experience making it look far better than a layperson?  And as a tenant, what will you consider a reasonable compensation for your time and effort (and reimbursement for buying a quality caulk, not the cheap bottom-shelf crap that sells for 1/3 of the good stuff)?

    I'm not trying to be harsh on the OP -- good questions to address.  And not everyone is going to subscribe to the idea that anything you do for your property and your tenants should be an improvement on what had gone before.  Or hire someone who can.  But doing so is a great way to only have to do any job a lot less often, or never again.  Nor do you find every tenant will treat the property as well as if they owned and cared about it. 

    One final thought: what is written into the lease?   Does the lease spell out that the tenant is responsible for not only keeping the property reasonably clean and undamaged and responsible for their own tolietpaper, but they are also responsible the general upkeep of caulk?

    2Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    4y

    Landlord, Landlord, Landlord.....

    0Reply
  • Steve K.
    Realtor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 3k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker another no to all of your examples, which seem to fall into the “normal wear and tear” category that landlords are responsible for. The only reason I could see holding a tenant responsible for damage to caulking would be something like if a pet or a child actually chewed it up/ pulled it apart or the tenant left a window open for several weeks and there was water damage, something negligent like that. Even then it would not be appropriate to have the tenant actually do it though, but rather have it done professionally and billed back to the tenant/ take it out of the security deposit. Never wise to have tenants caulk or paint or work on the property at all as a rule. Realistically I would just do it myself though, caulk is cheap and I end up caulking and painting on most turnovers anyway. The black stuff is mold and easily remedied by cleaning.

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    4y

    Another voice that agrees that caulking is not as easy as it looks. It took me years to be decent at it, there are a few little tricks to it (the angle of the cut, taping the tube to the gun, temperature of water). Watch an old painter caulk and you will see what I mean....

    1Reply
  • Jim K.
    Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    4y

    @Scott Mac

    I actually only use a 10:1 dripless skeletal gun from a European manufacturer and Red Devil's 26:1 gun. That Extreme Duty gun gets five stars from me.

    1Reply
  • Bruce WoodruffPro Member
    Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
    4y

    Gotta be dripless.......

    1Reply
  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker the longevity of caulk comes down to the quality of caulk and quality of installation. Depending on the location, you may need to caulk every few years. Caulk is like any other item in your property. The landlord is responsible for maintaining the property. It is unlikely your tenant damaged the caulk. The black color could be due to not properly cleaning, but it could also be due to old caulk that needs replacing. When caulk is old, it get brittle and hard to clean.

    Maintaining a house costs hundred if no thousands of dollars a year. That "cash flow" is not free. You need to set aside reserves for property maintenance.

    1Reply
  • Ryan Cleary
    Investor · Palm Beach County, FL · Member since 2019 · 370 posts · 330 votes
    4y

    I wouldn't trust a tenant to properly caulk anything.  Spend a few extra dollars and buy GE advanced silicon.  It will last forever and never get moldy.  I am a big advocate of clear caulk, it's usually the most aesthetically pleasing and you don't need to worry about color matching whites.  

    1Reply
  • Bonnie LowPro Member
    Lender · Asheville, NC · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    Absolutely not. You do NOT want your tenant doing any work on your property. There's a skill even to something a simple as caulking. You need to use the right product. A product that matches the original caulking. It needs to be cleaned carefully and the old caulking removed entirely. Someone should be inspecting for any water damage that might have resulted from the cracked caulking. As a landlord it's your job to maintain the property. You don't want to leave these items in the tenant's hands.

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    0Reply
  • Josue Vargas
    Real Estate Agent · San Antonio, TX · Member since 2017 · 814 posts · 466 votes
    4y

    All of them is a NO. 

    It could happen, but I can not imagine a tenant removing some caulking, if something else, they remove it because it has mildew/a colony of fungus, or something similar to that.  I would not bother the tenant with this unless they removed it without notifying you and then there is damage to dry walls or other real estate property. 

    If the product was installed by a contractor and has warranty, claim it to the contractor/installer or manufacturer of the product, not the tenant. 

    0Reply
  • Barney Davis
    Rental Property Investor · Jackson, MS · Member since 2019 · 33 posts · 9 votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker if the caulking in the tub is black that usually means what is behind it causing mold to grow. You have to remove ALL the old caulk, let it dry at least 24 hours (a fan would help). Then apply new caulk and wait 24-48 hours before using the shower again

    0Reply
  • Mary M.
    Rental Property Investor · Portland OR · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4y

     No,   tenants should not be responsible for caulking!  that is crazy!    I would NEVER rely on a tenant to maintain my assets.

    As a tenant I would request to have something caulked and if the LL didnt do it in a reasonable time, I would ask if they wanted me to do it (since I know how)

    0Reply
  • Mary M.
    Rental Property Investor · Portland OR · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    4y

    Question for you folks that are pro caulkers:  I am learning to caulk - are there any specific online resources that you would recommend?   Also, how do you keep caulk tubes from drying out?  I go thru a lot of white, but for the special colors, I use it rarely and so keep having to buy a new tube as the old one went dry....  what is your secret to keep that from happening?

    0Reply
  • David Dachtera
    Rental Property Investor · Rockford, IL · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker,

    What did your attorney say?

    0Reply
  • Jim K.
    Handyman · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2018 · 5k+ posts · 13k+ votes
    4y
    Originally posted by @Mary M.:

    Question for you folks that are pro caulkers:  I am learning to caulk - are there any specific online resources that you would recommend?   Also, how do you keep caulk tubes from drying out?  I go thru a lot of white, but for the special colors, I use it rarely and so keep having to buy a new tube as the old one went dry....  what is your secret to keep that from happening?

    Usually, for acrylic painter's caulk, you run a 16d framing nail or 3-inch decking screw down the nozzle and tape it closed with premium-quality green or blue painter's tape. This treatment will keep the caulk OK for a few weeks. The adhesive on regular masking tape won't always reliably do it. You'll find plastic "caulk savers" that work on the same principle, but they don't work better than nail/screw and tape.

    This treatment won't work with silicones sealant caulks, because once it's exposed to oxygen, the clock starts ticking. The best you can do is squeeze out all the air and be prepared to sacrifice some product to the nail you run down the nozzle, it's messy. but this only make the stuff last 2/3 days longer.

    1Reply
  • Todor Ialamov
    Real Estate Agent · Burlington MA · Member since 2018 · 114 posts · 142 votes
    4y

    @Frankie Parker

    All of these should be landlord responsibility.

    Plus, you don’t really want tenants working on your properties. Trust me, I learned this lesson the hard way.

    0Reply
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