Tenant Damaged Blinds - Depriciated Value
Member since 2021 · 109 posts · 130 votes
Tenant Damaged Blinds - Depriciated Value
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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votesI'd wait until he moves out as the dog is likely to damage more. Talk to him and explain that he will be paying to replace them when he moves out. I have no idea what the longevity of blinds is and my guess is it differs. You could ask the company you are buying the from, how long they should last with normal wear and tear. Expensive blinds will last longer than cheap ones, but the lifespan of them in a rental probably isn't as long as you think.
12 Replies
- 8moTheresa HarrisPro MemberMember since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
I'd wait until he moves out as the dog is likely to damage more. Talk to him and explain that he will be paying to replace them when he moves out. I have no idea what the longevity of blinds is and my guess is it differs. You could ask the company you are buying the from, how long they should last with normal wear and tear. Expensive blinds will last longer than cheap ones, but the lifespan of them in a rental probably isn't as long as you think.
- 8moDavid PeschioBusiness MemberRichmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
Blinds are an issue but more importantly is the damage caused by the dog in the first week. Going forward, this can be a huge issue for more extensive damage. I would issue that violation letter and require him to fix the damaged blinds followed by an inspection. You can send him the information on which types of blinds he needs to purchase. If this is not cured or any other damage I would look to removing this tenant. Hopefully you collected a pet deposit so you have funds to fix any damage not remedied by the tenant.
- Member since 2021 · 109 posts · 130 votes8mo
Quote from @David Peschio:
Blinds are an issue but more importantly is the damage caused by the dog in the first week. Going forward, this can be a huge issue for more extensive damage. I would issue that violation letter and require him to fix the damaged blinds followed by an inspection. You can send him the information on which types of blinds he needs to purchase. If this is not cured or any other damage I would look to removing this tenant. Hopefully you collected a pet deposit so you have funds to fix any damage not remedied by the tenant.
That is my concern. The place was spotless when he moved in. New paint, brand new bathroom, I redid the kitchen 7 years ago. Last three tenants, no one has ever done any damage in the unit, they all got their deposits back. I want to issue the cure letter with a 7 day limit, send a screen capture of my basket from the blind company, demand payment and not replace the blinds till he leaves. I want to set the tone, I have had 12 tenants over the years in four units, and have never had anything like this happen. It is a nice unit and these aren't home depot off-the-shelf blinds. I am very concerned about my new bathroom and the expensive all wood vanity I installed.
- Rental Property Investor · Somewhere over the Rainbow · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes8mo
Quote from @Jason Smith:
Quote from @David Peschio:
Blinds are an issue but more importantly is the damage caused by the dog in the first week. Going forward, this can be a huge issue for more extensive damage. I would issue that violation letter and require him to fix the damaged blinds followed by an inspection. You can send him the information on which types of blinds he needs to purchase. If this is not cured or any other damage I would look to removing this tenant. Hopefully you collected a pet deposit so you have funds to fix any damage not remedied by the tenant.
That is my concern. The place was spotless when he moved in. New paint, brand new bathroom, I redid the kitchen 7 years ago. Last three tenants, no one has ever done any damage in the unit, they all got their deposits back. I want to issue the cure letter with a 7 day limit, send a screen capture of my basket from the blind company, demand payment and not replace the blinds till he leaves. I want to set the tone, I have had 12 tenants over the years in four units, and have never had anything like this happen. It is a nice unit and these aren't home depot off-the-shelf blinds. I am very concerned about my new bathroom and the expensive all wood vanity I installed.
So it sounds like you want this tenant out. You're essentially finding a reason (damaged blinds) to charge him in the middle of a lease. Which will no doubt make him mad and may even result in them moving out.
We don't depreciate blinds, whatever the cost is to replace is what is deducted from the deposit.
Also allowing pets can result in damage. If you have a luxury place you may want to consider what pets you will allow on a case by case basis. Big dogs can and will cause big damage.
- 8moDan H.Pro MemberInvestor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votesWe do inspections up to quarterly but in practice twice a year on tenants that are rough on the unit and annually to tenants with a history of taking good care of the unit. We provide a list of tenant caused damage and provide the tenant a small, amount of time to address issues that can reasonably be taken care of by the tenant. We charge for all the tenant caused repair. It is in our lease, prevents the units from becoming eye soars, etc. I see no reason that maintaining the unit to standards and charging the tenant for tenant caused damage should make the tenant mad; they caused the damage and they should pay for the damage they caused.
Quote from @Jeremy Horton:
Quote from @Jason Smith:
Quote from @David Peschio:
Blinds are an issue but more importantly is the damage caused by the dog in the first week. Going forward, this can be a huge issue for more extensive damage. I would issue that violation letter and require him to fix the damaged blinds followed by an inspection. You can send him the information on which types of blinds he needs to purchase. If this is not cured or any other damage I would look to removing this tenant. Hopefully you collected a pet deposit so you have funds to fix any damage not remedied by the tenant.
That is my concern. The place was spotless when he moved in. New paint, brand new bathroom, I redid the kitchen 7 years ago. Last three tenants, no one has ever done any damage in the unit, they all got their deposits back. I want to issue the cure letter with a 7 day limit, send a screen capture of my basket from the blind company, demand payment and not replace the blinds till he leaves. I want to set the tone, I have had 12 tenants over the years in four units, and have never had anything like this happen. It is a nice unit and these aren't home depot off-the-shelf blinds. I am very concerned about my new bathroom and the expensive all wood vanity I installed.
So it sounds like you want this tenant out. You're essentially finding a reason (damaged blinds) to charge him in the middle of a lease. Which will no doubt make him mad and may even result in them moving out.
We don't depreciate blinds, whatever the cost is to replace is what is deducted from the deposit.
Also allowing pets can result in damage. If you have a luxury place you may want to consider what pets you will allow on a case by case basis. Big dogs can and will cause big damage.
as to the post that indicates to wait until move out to address these repairs, where do they draw the line? If there is a broken window, do they wait to tenant move out? Broken screens? Gate latch and that the tenant broke because they put a lock on it and misplaced the key? Fence hit by their car? If they leave all items to tenant move out, a long time tenant could be living in a very trashed place and the security deposit may be inadequate to address all the tenant caused damage.
in general, we wait for tenant turnover for drywall (we not charge for extreme damage) and flooring (too hard to address while occupied) but make exceptions on either in extreme cases. All other tenant caused damage we address at the inspections.
If the blinds were perfect at tenant move-in I would charge the tenant full replacement costs. If they were less than perfect, I would prorate the cost based on condition when tenant moved in.
good luck
- Member since 2011 · 152 posts · 113 votes8mo
I agree with TH. Let the tenant live with the damaged blinds, but let them know they will be charged at moveout. Then watch closely to see how much more damage the dog is causing to determine if you want to end the lease early.
- MD/DC · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes8mo
My guess is the dog was anxious upon move-in and TBH damaging 6 year old blinds would be the least of my worries. I agree that sending him options to replace with a similar product or he could put up whatever he wants for the term of the lease. Not sure I'd even charge for them after if a good tenant. Keep in mind your place is no longer a brand new reno.
- 8moBenjamin AakerPro MemberRental Property Investor · Brandon, SD · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
Charge him for the blinds.
Two options are to switch to a curtain rod or to go to cheap mass-produced blinds which can be swapped out when they break.
- 8moAlecia LovelessPro MemberMember since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
@Jason Smith Depending on how long the tenant lived there we might not charge full price for the blinds. But if they want them fixed mid-lease that would be on them.
We’ve discovered it doesn’t make sense to put expensive blinds in any of our units. We actually had a tenant last year that cut off the blinds mid-way up instead of just adjusting them to accommodate his window AC unit.
It’s always a crap shoot with how tenants will maintain your unit.
- Rental Property Investor · Los Angeles, CA · Member since 2017 · 2k+ posts · 5k+ votes8mo
Quote from @Jason Smith:
The blinds are 7 years old and at the time we're about 115/piece.
Can I charge the full amount or do I have to depreciate?
Unless Florida has some wacky laws about it, you can charge him the replacement value of 7 year old blinds. You don't get new blinds for free out of this.
Whether the tenant will challange you if you charge the full price is another story.
- Real Estate Broker · Atlanta · Member since 2024 · 1k+ posts · 605 votes8mo
Jason, it is unfortunate that this happened. The damage may be due to the dog experiencing separation anxiety, especially if it is left alone for extended periods or not getting sufficient exercise.
I would either charge the tenant for the blind replacement at move-out or require him to replace the damaged blinds while he is still occupying the property. Hopefully, a move-in inspection was completed and documented with the tenant. Going forward, I would also recommend conducting routine inspections to ensure there is no ongoing damage and if there is, issuing appropriate notices, including a notice to vacate if necessary.
That said, it is important to have realistic expectations when renting to tenants with dogs, especially large dogs that some level of property damage is always a possibility.
- 8moDavid PeschioBusiness MemberRichmond, VA · Member since 2019 · 358 posts · 181 votes
@Jason Smith Agree. Just keep doing periodic inspections during the lease to ensure that no more damage is occurring. Document everything and keep taking pictures. Hopefully you never need to go to court but start building the case now just in case.
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