I am a landlord and my tenant has moved out. He is waiting for his security deposit back. But first i must inspect house and see if there are any damages.
From what i see...he has parked a car on the lawn that leaked oil. So there are oil blotches in the yard. This cannot be good. Oil ruins grass. Now...i know i have to charge him for this...but how much? can grass be restored after oil from a car leaked on it?
Even if there is a dollar amount to put on the lawn fixture...i won't know if the grass is totally restored and back to normal until it grows back which can take months. So can i wait until then to see if he should be given his security deposit back???
I would love to hear from landlords or tenants who have had similiar situations.
2006-08-07 20:35:53 · 15 answers · asked by JJ C 2 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
Laws in your state http://www.uslandlord.com/ go to laws & statutes and then your state.*
2006-08-08 10:06:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In TX you have 30 days to do a disposition-an accounting of the Security Deposit. You really only should charge him for the area of grass that needs to be replaced. A fair amount would be $50.00. Have you looked inside the house? You say that you haven't. You have to do a full inspection and go from there. I think you are making too much of the grass issue however. You must have great luck with tenants if this is your biggest problem. Bet you havent had any FEMA tenants like we do here in TX.
2006-08-08 07:43:47 · answer #2 · answered by educated guess 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think a judge would laugh at this case. If the tenants damaged the apartment then you could keep some of the money but I don't think $8 in grass seeds is worth the hassle!!
As a landlord you learn somethings just aren't worth it. Just 3 months ago a tenant left an apartment a mess. I paid someone $20 to clean the apartment. It took about 2 hours to clean but keeping the tenants money wasnt worth the time and effort if he took he to court. Now if there is damage over $100 then I'd keep some money.
2006-08-07 20:43:01 · answer #3 · answered by Maimee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am a landlord also
I would give him back all of his deposit unless there is damage to the house
Carpet Cleaning is another cost that I do not pass on - unless the carpet is abused
Broken windows,holes in the walls and burns are pulled from the deposit
I may be unusual and nice - but I like having good feelings on all sides
The damage to the grass will grow back reasonably soon
After all --grass always grows best in driveways - Big Smile
If you make this redneck looser mad - he may come back later and do massive damage
Live and let live whenever possible
Renting is a business - you take the aggravations with the money
2006-08-07 20:48:27 · answer #4 · answered by Dan W 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just replace the piece of lawn, and charge him what it cost you.
There is no actual law that states that you can charge your tennant for grass damage. It's nature. Just as long as he left your house (building) in respectable shape, then there are no actual charges for the lawn.
There are chemicals which you can use to clean the oil stains on the driveway or where ever the blotches are and maybe charge him for that.
2006-08-07 20:48:35 · answer #5 · answered by natasha 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what you need to do is dig out the dirt your self or hire someone (landscaper) and put new sod in make sure the house is just the way you rented it ,,, in most cases you have about 30 days to return any monies due back ,,,keep track of all charges you have made ,,phone calls ,sod replace dirt ,etc.
yes ,deduct the charges from the deposit,,, remember, this is your business, as a landlord you have to cover the damage cost, if you continue to pay for their damages ,you can go broke
if you have a lease you need to check to see what it says about this ,,,next time you might want to add something abiout deposits and when it will be returned if it isn't already in the contract
protect yourself as a landlord and always do what you have to do to protect your tenant,,,read each word of the lease to them before they sign it and it they do not understand it, advise them that they may want to contact an attorney to explian it to them...
2006-08-07 20:46:59 · answer #6 · answered by GO AHEAD 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check the Security Deposit statutes in your state. You are required to return their sec. dep. within a certain period of time. Do not go beyond this time. A tenant can take you to court for not returning in in time and you could be liable for up to four times the amount you did not return plus any applicable court costs for your tenant. If that is the only thing you had trouble with, count your blessings and return his deposit.
2006-08-08 02:40:55 · answer #7 · answered by wildcat03820 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My Dad is a private landlord and the final human beings he rented certainly one of his properties out to have been Vietnamese drug sellers lol, they not at all paid their lease so my Dad issued them a word of eviction and that they had to discover determination accommadation interior 2 months, after no respond he went around to the living house, he went interior and that that they had disconnected the electrical powered energy meter so as that they did no longer pay for the electrical powered energy they used and had tinfoil all up the wallsto mirror the sunshine and a extensive type of tube lighting fixtures in each room different than one the place they lived and slept (5 of them in one room by way of fact the different 4 rooms have been crammed with weed flowers. besides that they had long previous at this component there have been only empty luggage of fertiliser and a few hashish leaves on the floor.
2016-12-11 04:54:57 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I guess you are wasting too much of your time and energy for such a small thing. I would suggest you should give a warning to the tenant and return the deposit. May be you'll earn a god friend this way. Meanwhile, you can you utilize your time / energy in a more meaningful way - may be by paying more heed to your livelihood which can earn you a fortune!
2006-08-07 20:45:24 · answer #9 · answered by Friend 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A bag of grass seed is like $5. An hours labor $5. Rain...Free. The end.
2006-08-07 20:40:22 · answer #10 · answered by bombhaus 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wonder why landlords are mean to tenants.just a small portion of grass and you feel you should charge the tenant for that. well just imagine you were the tenant.......somethings are minor to even notice. be human pliz,its just grass by its nature it will grow back.be thankful instead that atleast u got someone who occupied your house and has left peacfully.....learn to see the positive in everything and in everyone.
2006-08-07 22:00:21 · answer #11 · answered by swit lips 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋