Common Tenant Mistakes That Can Damage Your Property

Renting property to unknown tenants can carry a certain amount of inherent risk. You need to understand who’s living on the premises, or you could end up with unnecessary and expensive property damage.

There are numerous potential pitfalls to consider, such as smoking hazards, pet issues, extension cord mishaps, and flooding, among others. Below, we’re going to explain some of the most common mistakes tenants make that can damage your property, and hopefully help you avoid having to make claims on your insurance policy. 

Smoking Hazards

If there’s one tenant habit that can cause damage to a building, it’s smoking. Although landlords can’t stop tenants from smoking altogether, it’s important to be clear when smoking is not permitted indoors.

So how can smoking cause damage? Smoking inside stains your furniture, walls, ceilings, and floors. While it does not happen overnight if inside smoking takes place over an extended period it will result in unsightly yellow staining over walls and ceilings.

Smoking also permeates surfaces to make a house smell strongly of cigarettes. Once your property starts to smell like smoke, it can be hard to get rid of the odor. In fact, you may end up needing to call professionals for a deep clean.

In addition, smoking raises the risk of accidental fire. It only takes one unattended cigarette to cause extensive fire and smoke damage to an entire property.

Extension Cord Mishaps

Extension cords, though convenient, can cause myriad problems for landlords. While they can technically be used to supply power to numerous appliances, overuse can cause them to overheat and potentially lead to a fire.

Overheating occurs when extension cords become overloaded with appliances or electronics. If the cords being used are unable to handle the increased load and high demand for power, they may overheat and dangerously malfunction.

It may be useful to give your tenants guidelines covering how many electrical devices and appliances can be plugged into an extension cord at a given time. Neither renters nor homeowners enjoy dealing with property damage that could have been easily avoided.

Pet Issues

Whether you own a home or run a property management service, you’re likely aware that pets can be a major cause of harm to rental properties. Dogs’ claws can cause deep scratches to hardwood floors, and both dogs and cats can tear up carpets and leave odorous urine stains.

If renters do not take excellent care of their pets, regularly walking their dogs and cleaning their cats’ litter boxes, bad smells are easily left behind. Bored or neglected pets may also claw doorframes, chew baseboards, and damage landscaping.

However, smaller animals and responsible pet owners could mean that you never encounter any of these issues. It may be worth considering small pets or having a conversation with your tenants about what kind of care they take of their animals.

Flooding

Another common tenant mistake is flooding. Whether a bath is left running or someone forgets to turn off a tap, water damage can be expensive and time-consuming to fix. Not only can flooding damage tenants’ personal effects and furniture, but it can also cause significant structural damage to floors, ceilings, and walls.

Water damage can be mitigated by responding promptly and ensuring tenants know what to do in the unfortunate case of flooding or other emergencies.

Contact TSO Adjustment Service 

If you’re experiencing any of the situations outlined in this article, they may be covered in your insurance policy. Get in touch with our experts today to make a claim or learn more! You can reach us at (215) 886-7440 or visit our online portal.