Caring for a rental home requires our effort and regular maintenance. A good quality tenant sees this and would help the property owners in keeping their Belle Isle rental homes clean, maintained, and in good repair. But there are times where tenants– even the ones with the best of intentions– damage a home’s interior surfaces, albeit accidentally.
Often, unintentional damage happens simply because a tenant did not know that their actions would bring about that result. Other times, damage occurs due to accidents or as the result of a tenant’s poor decision. Knowledge of the usual ways a rental home’s interior surfaces can sustain inadvertent damage can greatly help property owners keep their tenants informed and maintain the good condition of their rental homes.
When surface damage goes beyond basic wear and tear, tenant negligence is usually the source. Countertops, floors, and even sinks and bathtubs are being used every day and can last for many years, even under such heavy use. The issue is that many tenants don’t know how these surfaces should be cared for or protected.
For instance, kitchen and bathroom countertops can usually withstand daily cleanings, food preparation activities, and a few spills without issue. However, countertops can be damaged by harsh cleaning products, mainly those containing bleach or ammonia. The kind of cleaning product should be chosen depending on the type of countertops you have in your rental home.
Countertops can be damaged when there’s an unusually heavy appliance or even a person standing on it. Too much weight on a countertop can break it. Some countertops may be damaged by placing hot pans or appliances on them, such as a toaster oven or a slow cooker.
Even a curling iron can cause burn marks on a bathroom countertop and can be difficult to remove. Cutting and chopping directly on a countertop may also damage the surface, making small indentations that can grow into bigger issues in the future.
Floors are another interior surface that tenants often accidentally damage. There are several things that could stay hidden even under a watchful tenant’s radar. There may be small leaks under a refrigerator or a drip under the cabinet from a sink water supply line, and these tiny things, given time, could produce permanent water damage in a kitchen floor.
Moving furniture is one of the biggest culprits of unintentional floor damage. Transferring heavy items by pushing them across a laminate or wood floor can cause scratches, gouging, and tears. This is generally the way many carpets get torn. Putting heavy furniture in the wrong spot can crack or chip tile floors, so too would dropping heavy items, such as exercise weights or even books. Similar to countertops, cleaning with the wrong cleaning products can permanently damage a floor, stripping off finishes and creating unsightly stains or bleach spots.
Bathtubs can also sustain accidental damage from harsh cleaning products. The same thing is true the other way around. Not cleaning often enough allows for mineral deposits from tap water to build up. When this is left unchecked, it would come to a point where the build-up would be almost impossible to remove, or worse, allow mildew to form. This, too, is a pretty common mistake. Similar to tile, when you place anything too heavy in a bathtub, it can cause cracks. You should use the bathtub for what it was designed for. Improper use could bring about problems from unfixable scratches in a solid-surface unit to rust or coloring dye stains.
The most effective way to help tenants avoid unintentionally damaging your rental home’s interior surfaces is by giving them all the relevant information they need. When they understand how to properly clean countertops, move heavy furniture, and so on, they will then be greatly helpful toward preventing expensive repairs. At Real Property Management Freedom, we speak with both tenants and property owners to guarantee that everyone involved cares for the rental home with more than just the willingness to help, but with actual knowledge as well.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
