Are You Invoicing Your Tenants for Damage They Cause?

When I first became a landlord, if a tenant called about a maintenance issue, I fixed it.

Their kid broke a window? I fixed it. They flushed a diaper down the toilet? I called the plumber and paid the bill.

As my portfolio grew, I started looking at maintenance differently. I learned to separate normal wear and tear from tenant-caused damage.

Here's how I handle it today. If it's normal wear and tear, I fix it and cover the cost.

If the tenant broke it, I still fix it. After all, it's my asset. But now the tenant gets an invoice on their ledger.

One of my biggest battles? Flushable wipes!

My lease specifically prohibits them. Doesn't matter if the package says "flushable." Yet tenants continue flushing them, and we continue pulling them out of clogged drains. We refer them to the lease, and give them the bill.

I've learned something over the years: Sometimes the only way to change behavior is with an invoice.

Are you charging tenants for damage they cause, or are you still absorbing those costs as part of doing business?