Clarifying Tenant Liability for Gate Damage and Maintenance in Lease Renewal

[Kevin Kim]

Hi everyone,

Our tenants have hit automatic gate twice, and we fixed for both repairs. With the lease renewal approaching, we want to ensure we can deduct the cost of any future tenant-caused damage from the security deposit or otherwise recover it. We’re new to landlording, so this is all unfamiliar territory. A few months ago they also reported a burnt-out light bulb, which we replaced; we’d like to clarify which maintenance tasks are ours and which are the tenant’s.

We plan to use the California Apartment Association lease forms. Do these forms already cover tenant liability for property damage (including the gate) and spell out maintenance responsibilities, or should we add a separate addendum?

Thank you in advance for your advice.