Tenant wants to add new flooring

Member since 2022 · 115 posts · 22 votes

one of my tenants wants to add new flooring throughout the unit. We recently had it installed new flooring 1 1/12 years ago. Tenant is saying sections of the floor are popping up and stuff getting stuck between them. Tenants wants to add new flooring and they take it out of the rent payment.

How do you usually handle this?

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Theresa HarrisPro Member

Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes

Absolutely not. Have the flooring company that did the install go by and look at it. Did the installer do a bad job or as Greg suggested, did the tenants do something to mess it up? If it was installed properly just over a year ago, the company who installed it should be willing to fix it unless it is the tenant's fault. Have you gone over to look at the flooring and did you have photos from before the tenant moved in?

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Greg ScottPro Member
Rental Property Investor · SE Michigan · Member since 2014 · 4k+ posts · 6k+ votes
2y
We never let tenants make repairs like this on our property. We absolutely never allow them to pay the costs and then "just take it out of rent" later! (I won't go into the many reasons that is a very bad idea.)
Have you checked the flooring yourself? Either your flooring company did a bad job installing it, in which case you should ask them to fix it, or the tenant is doing something to destroy the flooring. In the latter case, you must have a very different conversation and correct your tenant's bad behavior.
The least likely scenario is neither of the above, but the flooring still needs to be replaced. In that case, we would pick the flooring, hire the contractor, and pay for the installation. The only thing the tenant would need to do is be ready when the contractors come.
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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
2y
Absolutely not. Have the flooring company that did the install go by and look at it. Did the installer do a bad job or as Greg suggested, did the tenants do something to mess it up? If it was installed properly just over a year ago, the company who installed it should be willing to fix it unless it is the tenant's fault. Have you gone over to look at the flooring and did you have photos from before the tenant moved in?
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Albert Johnson
OP
Member since 2022 · 115 posts · 22 votes
2y
Quote from @Theresa Harris:

Absolutely not. Have the flooring company that did the install go by and look at it. Did the installer do a bad job or as Greg suggested, did the tenants do something to mess it up? If it was installed properly just over a year ago, the company who installed it should be willing to fix it unless it is the tenant's fault. Have you gone over to look at the flooring and did you have photos from before the tenant moved in?

I plan on going there tomorrow to look at the flooring
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Albert Johnson
OP
Member since 2022 · 115 posts · 22 votes
2y
Quote from @Greg Scott:

We never let tenants make repairs like this on our property. We absolutely never allow them to pay the costs and then "just take it out of rent" later! (I won't go into the many reasons that is a very bad idea.)
Have you checked the flooring yourself? Either your flooring company did a bad job installing it, in which case you should ask them to fix it, or the tenant is doing something to destroy the flooring. In the latter case, you must have a very different conversation and correct your tenant's bad behavior.
The least likely scenario is neither of the above, but the flooring still needs to be replaced. In that case, we would pick the flooring, hire the contractor, and pay for the installation. The only thing the tenant would need to do is be ready when the contractors come.

Thanks. This is great advice
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Bruce WoodruffPro Member
Contractor/Investor/Consultant · San Diego / Phoenix · Member since 2021 · 12k+ posts · 15k+ votes
2y
Like they said, NEVER let a tenant do any repairs or modifications. At best, it's just a messy situation, I've found that tenants then think they're special. At worse you could be looking at denial of an insurance claim or even worse.
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Alecia LovelessPro Member
Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
2y
@Albert Johnson I recently did an “upgrade” ($10,000ish) for an extremely vocal tenant. My expectation as a landlord of 5 years and a tenant years in the past was that this would make this tenant a happier tenant.
This has not occurred and as such I will now have second thoughts before doing any further expensive upgrades for an existing tenant.
If the flooring is bad you should pay to replace it if for nothing else to keep bookkeeping records simple. You get the write off for the repairs and still collect 100% of the rent so there’s no question down the road about gat happened to the missing rent.
I never trade with tenants.
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Albert Johnson
OP
Member since 2022 · 115 posts · 22 votes
2y
Quote from @Alecia Loveless:

@Albert Johnson I recently did an “upgrade” ($10,000ish) for an extremely vocal tenant. My expectation as a landlord of 5 years and a tenant years in the past was that this would make this tenant a happier tenant.
This has not occurred and as such I will now have second thoughts before doing any further expensive upgrades for an existing tenant.
If the flooring is bad you should pay to replace it if for nothing else to keep bookkeeping records simple. You get the write off for the repairs and still collect 100% of the rent so there’s no question down the road about gat happened to the missing rent.
I never trade with tenants.

Thanks. I will definitely keep this in mind when I see the floors tomorrow
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
2y
If the floor is only 18 months old, it can probably be repaired.

Even if it does require replacement, I will not let the tenant do the work.

First, how does it benefit you? If you have to pay for floor installation, hire a pro and ensure it's done right.

Second, if you deduct from rent then you can lose twice. If the tenant fails to complete the job, or does it poorly, you'll have to hire someone to finish/fix it and you'll be out the rent money.

With hundreds of rentals under management, it is extremely rare that I let a tenant do work. When I do, I use a written agreement that explains specifically what they will do, who pays for what, the materials to be used, a completion date, etc. It is very strict. And if I am paying the tenant anything, I pay them after I verify the work meets my satisfaction.
My most likely reaction to their reqeust?
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Hunter Stoudnour
Rental Property Investor · Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2019 · 31 posts · 11 votes
2y
Hi Albert,

I've had a few tenants ask to do work on some of my properties. Oftentimes, they see it as a great opportunity to reduce their rent while helping their landlord with repairs. It sounds like a win-win, but we often overlook a few major factors. You need to ensure the work is done professionally to maintain a safe living space. Setting clear boundaries and expectations between you and the tenant helps maintain professionalism. If you're unsure about what to do with the flooring after inspecting it, consult with someone. Use it as a learning experience because, after all, that's why we're here!
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