Tenants not reporting issues as they arise

[Tony Velez]

I have a question. Here is our problem. We have an older couple that has a daughter and two grand kids. They have been here for only 4 months. 1-Got a call from our neighbor and said he watched the grand kids kick the basement window in. This is a $200 fix. Told the tenants... they yelled at the kids. We havent made repairs yet....not sure if we should charge them? 2-Rent pickup 2 months ago we found water leaking into the kicthwn from third floor. The tenant never told us anything. If not for us being in the apartment we would have never known 3-Last but not least. Pick up rent noticed water dripping from the tenants second floor closed porch. Like dripping and wood warped. Asked tenant what is going on? The tenant said the porch floods and all there storage boxes are always soaked. They also said all winter the water turns into ice! Well we had no clue! There is major damage to the porch. Have to replace alot of damged wood. We went there yesterday and found it was a simple clogged gutter. This damage could of been avoided of we were notified in a timely manner. We called thw tenants yesterday morning and let them know we need access to the apartment. They said they would be home. They were not home. They did not answer 5 of our phone calls. We did not enter the apartment un authorized. Should we have? Any suggestions on how we should approach this? I plan on sending a letter to the tenants today.

[Ray Harrell]

#1, whenever you need to enter, give the tenants two-days notice (per lease or law), and knock, knock, knock. If they don't respond, you have the right to enter. It's not unauthorized.

#2, it's not the tenant responsibility to monitor your property. It's your responsibility as the owner to do periodic inspections of your property.

#3. yes, charge the tenant for their children kicking in the window. That is considered willful damage, and technically is grounds for eviction.

[Ray Harrell]

#1, whenever you need to enter, give the tenants two-days notice (per lease or law), and knock, knock, knock. If they don't respond, you have the right to enter. It's not unauthorized.

#2, it's not the tenant responsibility to monitor your property. It's your responsibility as the owner to do periodic inspections of your property.

#3. yes, charge the tenant for their children kicking in the window. That is considered willful damage, and technically is grounds for eviction.

[Kim Meredith Hampton]

@Tony Velez you will need to schedule periodic inspections to make sure everything is being addressed. Some tenants will report every little squeak, and some don't report anything, luck of the draw no matter what you put in place. You will just need to be proactive on your part.

Absolutely charge them for the broken window!!

[Tony Velez]

Good ideas. We will send them a simple reminder to let us know about issues as they come. Will also let them know we will do monthly inspections.

[Marcia Maynard]

@Tony Velez Your success will depend on the quality of the rental agreement and how well you enforce it, as well as how well you do your tenant screening in the first place. Also, understanding and abiding by the landlord-tenant laws in your jurisdiction is key.

Clarify what you want the tenant to do. Clarify what you are prepared to do. Follow-through.

Here a couple of clauses from our rental agreement you may find helpful:

MAINTENANCE OF PREMISES.Landlord will maintain all electrical, plumbing, heating, and other facilities and appliances supplied by Landlord in good working order.Landlord will perform periodic inspections of the premises, no less than once a year, for the purpose of property maintenance and repair.Landlord will notify Tenant in advance of the inspection. Tenant agrees to allow Landlord timely access to premises to do maintenance and repair.Tenant will notify Landlord in a timely manner of any damages or problems as they arise, including damages caused by Tenant, malfunction of appliances or fixtures, and water/moisture leaks and spots.Tenant will take care of the premises, keeping them clean and clear of debris. Tenant will use appliances and fixtures in accordance with manufacturer instructions.

DAMAGES. Tenant agrees to pay for repairs of all damages that they or their guests have caused.Landlord agrees to initiate repairs in a timely manner following discovery of the damage or can choose to defer repair until Tenant has vacated the premises. Repairs done by a professional will be billed at the professional rate.Repairs done by Landlord will be billed by the job or as labor plus materials.