Why keeping a record of property condition is important, and when to be firm!

[Alan Asriants]

Recently, I ran into a situation where a tenant tried to manipulate me into believing that certain damage was something I had actually warned them about during the move-in walkthrough.

For context, I lived in this property for two years before renting it out. My wife (who was the main cook) lived there with me for about six months. That detail matters.

I scheduled a routine walkthrough with the tenants to check on the condition of the property. We have a good relationship, and setting it up wasn’t an issue. But when the tenant called me beforehand, they brought up something I supposedly said about a burner and not using it. I had no recollection of this, so I asked them to send me a picture—because hey, I can always be wrong.

The picture they sent showed a burned laminate countertop. When I asked about it, the tenant told me that I had warned them this burner caused that kind of damage. I immediately asked my wife, and she also had no idea what they were talking about. Instead of turning it into a “he said, she said,” I pulled up photos I had taken while living there and right before moving out. The countertop was in perfect condition in both sets of photos.

It was clear this was negligence. My guess is someone left a burner on too long, maybe with a dish towel nearby, or used a long, thin pan that caused the flame to spread and burn the counter.

When I did the walkthrough in person, I showed them the photos and their own move-in inspection form, where they marked the kitchen as being in excellent condition. At that point, it was obvious they were trying to shift blame.

But evidence alone isn’t enough in these situations. It’s important to address it directly, politely, and firmly. I explained that while I’m understanding and open to working things out (the countertop wasn’t brand new, and we could’ve come up with a fair solution), dishonesty and manipulation are unacceptable. Because of the way they handled it, I made it clear this damage would 100% be their responsibility.

At the end of the day, they’re decent tenants and generally take care of the property. But behavior like this cannot be tolerated. If a tenant gets away with it once, they’ll almost certainly try again. Addressing it immediately, respectfully, and assertively sets the tone—and makes them think twice before trying something like this in the future.