According to me so pay attention all you landlords and tenants out there!

Every day wear and tear is a normal occurrence.  It is the cost of doing business in the rental world.  It is what it is.  However, it remains to be a highly debatable point of contention.

1. Allowing your kids to practice doing an ollie with their skateboards on any of the room’s hardwood floors is not NW&T.

2. Daily use over time can cause many household fixtures such as doorknobs to not work properly or to become loose. If so, call us immediately.  Kicking in a locked bedroom door and blowing out the jam because of an inoperable door knob or even worse, your spouse locked you out is not NW&T.

3. Picture hanging wire nail holes on walls are NW&T.  Your angry teenage son punching a fist-size hole in the sheetrock wall and miraculously missing the stud is not.  Also, hanging a dart board on the bedroom wall and being an amateur thrower will open the tenant’s wallet upon vacancy.

4. Generally speaking, carpeting has a limited lifetime.  With care, it may last many years.  Not so much with aggressive living.  Matting of carpet is a natural occurrence from walking on it over time.  Split carpet seams may be from faulty installation or deteriorating padding.  But … causing a friction burn from dragging a 2-ton solid mahogany dining table is not NW&T.  Large stains of any kind and burns of any kind are plain ol’ damage.

5.  Nicks, scratches and small dents on appliances are NW&T.  If it still adequately performs its function then there is no damage.  However, if you crash your car into the washer, which happens to be located in the garage, then you’ll need to contact your insurance agent for replacement.

6. Proper use of appliances requires reading and understanding the operating manuals, which were left at the property or available online through the manufacturer’s website.  Forcing the expensive HE washer’s door open during the washer’s cycle (BTW, a no-no) and subsequently blowing out the temperature control sensing device is definitely not cheap.  You’ll need to whip out the checkbook, for sure.

7.  Perhaps you like the “open” look.  Removing newly refinished or painted cabinet, closet and/or any interior doors, then storing them outside or in the attic/rafters of the garage without expressed written permission is most definitely prohibited.  That is not NW&T.  Don’t even go there!

8.  Puttin’ up a shelf or two is generally OK with written permission.  Removal is at your expense as also the holes left from the shelf support brackets.  Not NW&T and remember, tenants are NOT to patch holes.

9.  Accidently dropping a butcher knife on the vinyl kitchen floor and causing a tiny cut on the surface is NW&T.  Dragging the stove to clean behind and tearing the vinyl floor is not!  Call us and we will help you move the stove.  We do appreciate good housekeeping and will help you free of charge.