OKC Rental Homes | The Difference between Damage and Wear and Tear

 

Property management companies in Oklahoma City will help you know when you can deduct from a tenant's security deposit Owners of Oklahoma City rent homes have likely had to take extra care to look after the condition of their properties as a result of the marked uptick in demand for rentals. However, what most investment property owners working without the expertise of companies offering property management in Oklahoma City, OK don't know is how to tell the difference between property damage and wear and tear. It is important for anyone with Oklahoma City rent homes to be able to tell the difference between damage and wear and tear because this difference dictates whether to deduct repair costs from a tenant's security deposit. Here are a few common misconceptions about what constitutes property damage:

 

  • Scuffed wooden floors. OKC rental homes with wooden floors often experience a lot of wear and tear. Repairing scuffed floors is a labor-intensive proposition and many investors with rental properties in Oklahoma City are tempted to make a deduction from their tenant's security deposit. However, rental properties in Oklahoma City with scuffed wooden floors have not suffered property damage. Gouged wooden floors, however, would constitute property damage. Determining the difference between a scuff and a gouge should be left to property management companies in Oklahoma City.

  • Well-worn keys. Property managers are often returned keys that have lived out their useful lives in the hands of unconcerned renters. However, passing the cost of making a new set of keys onto your tenant is not considered professionally responsible. If your tenant has lost a copy of the keys you left them with, the cost for replacements may be deducted from their security deposit.

  • Ceiling stains. Property management companies in Oklahoma City are often faced with mysterious stains left in odd locations. Ceiling stains are among the most mythologized and least understood of all the stains that property investors encounter at the end of a tenancy. However, understanding the provenance of a stain is the key to determining whether it constitutes actual property damage or just wear and tear. Consider the following:

    • Ceiling stains caused by a leaky roof. If a property owner has not maintained the rental unit to the point where water damage has caused a ceiling stain, it cannot be deducted from the tenant's security deposit.

    • Ceiling stains caused by opening a bottle of champagne. If a tenant is celebrating that special occasion and happens to let the cork of his Veuve Clicquot (which has been accidentally smeared with chocolate sauce) fly into your rental unit's ceiling, the cost of cleaning and any necessary repairs can most certainly be deducted from his security deposit.

 

Any investor with OKC rental homes should be concerned about protecting their investment's value. When you work with a provider of property management in Oklahoma City, OK, you have a professional on your side to help you tell the difference between normal wear and tear and property damage. If you have any more questions about making deductions from your tenant's security deposit, talk to a OneProp OKC property manager today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONEprop Oklahoma LLC is a Real Estate Brokerage licensed by the State of Oklahoma, OREC license number 157720