Tenant cement vandalism
We had the sidewalk and driveway redone on the tenant side of our duplex. Yesterday the concrete was poured. This afternoon I noticed that a smile, a pentagram and a third illegible mark had been inscribed in the now dry cement.
After speaking with our tenants, who told us they had nothing to do with it, we called the police and filed a report. Tonight a neighbor showed us video footage of our tenants daughter defacing the cement.
After this discovery the tenant called asking if we had found out who did it. I told her we knew the persons name and we were discussing our options. Less than 10 minutes later both parents and the 23yo daughter came over to apologize. This is the first problem we have had with them.
We had the images rubbed out of the concrete by our contractor. The area that was defaced no longer has a broom finish to help prevent slips and looks drastically different from the rest of the work that was done.
The driveway and sidwwalk as well as patio were re-done at the request of the tenants, whose daughter ironically was the one complaining about how she would fall in the winter time due to the un-level side walk.
They are pleasant neighbors and good tenants, always paying rent on time. We don't want to evict them (they are month to month) because of the foolish mistakes of their daughter. We are trying to decide how to proceed.
We are worried that if we evict their daughter they may possibly leave. We had planned to renovate their side when they move out and this is not the ideal time for that to happen, having recently spent so much on the driveway and a new fence.
My husband believes that we need to either have them pay for damage compensation or raise their rent. Any suggestions?