Can a landlord be held responsible for charges the tenant occured to the house?

Question

Such as new construction,(tilework,painting, plumbing,etc.. If the landlord did not give such permission, and the tenant made the call to have someone come out and do work, and the tenant refused to pay?

Answer 1

No, hopefully everything is in his name that he requested. If it's not and he used your name it will be in court.

Answer 2

Even though you are not legally responsible, the contractor may try to put a mechanic's lien on the property, in which case you would have to act to legally have the lien removed. This would be straightforward enough to do since it's plain to see that no one has a contract with your name on it authorizing any work. However, you could still lose a lot of time, and would also have to seek to recover court filing fees and any other legal expense.

Contractors should always check that the person they are contracting with has the legal capacity to authorize the work, but some just don't due their due diligence. I'd recommend sending a letter to the contractor(s) (if you can find out who they are) letting them know that you are the owner and that you did not authorize the work completed, but that you would cooperate with them in any way you can to help them recover from your tenant. You might include a copy of records from the county assessor's office proving you are the owner.

They'll know they blew it, and hopefully they'll realize that their best recourse for recovery is to take you up on your offer. Good luck.

Answer 3

No. If the landlord didn't order the work, and the tenant did, then the tenant is responsible. If the tenant ordered the work, and claimed that it was ordered by the landlord, and it wasn't, then that is fraud.

Answer 4

They can try and put a lien on the house, yes. You might have to fight it-- you shouldnt' be responsible but that doesn't mean the contractor wont try to get money any way possible.