A potential anxiety and conflict for landlords and renters is a disagreement over who pays for what after move-out. At Southern Coast Management we have created a conflict-free process.
Defining Normal Wear and Tear
Every home, rented or not, will show wear and tear as the home is occupied. The problem comes from differences in opinion about what “normal wear and tear” means, exactly.
Normal wear includes the type of wear that would happen no matter who lived in the space. Slight wear on carpets and minor scratches on linoleum or hardwood floors are normal wear and tear; cigarette burn marks are not. A shower stall that isn’t quite as sparkly and new as it looked before is normal; a hole or massive crack in the shower surround is not.
It begins with an Inspection
We require both move-in and move-out inspections. As much as these inspections benefit our owners and our company, tenants benefit when there’s a discrepancy over damage.
For instance, if we notice a hole in a closet wall during the move-out inspection, we might believe the tenant is responsible. But a copy of the move-in checklist might show that the hole was there before the current tenant moved in. The checklist helps ensure a tenant will either get back all or most of the security deposit back or understand why the homeowner will be keeping some or all of it.
Smooth Operators
Due diligence helps ensure that our homeowners and tenants have the best experience. We use our move-in and move-out checklist to make sure there is an agreement to keep the process smooth. Checklists used by both landlord and tenant, cross-checked during the inspections, help alleviate nearly all misunderstandings about the rental’s condition. Choose Southern Coast Management to provide you, the tenant or homeowner, peace of mind.
