Caring for a rental home needs effort and regular maintenance. A good quality tenant recognizes this and would try and help property owners keep their Forest Hills rental homes clean, maintained, and in good repair. But there will be instances where tenants, who intend to help, inadvertently cause damage to a home’s interior surfaces.
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. The knowledge of the most common ways a rental home’s interior surfaces can sustain inadvertent damage is a tool that property owners shouldn’t be without. This would allow them to keep their tenants informed and maintain the 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 typically long-lasting and can withstand daily and heavy use for many years. The difficulty is that tenants, although well-meaning, may not be informed that some of these surfaces need to be cared for and protected in a certain way.
As an example, kitchen and bathroom countertops can normally withstand daily cleanings, food preparation activities, and a few spills. They can go through all that and still be fine. But countertops can be tarnished by harsh cleaning products, particularly those containing bleach or ammonia. The cleaning product to be used on your countertops should be chosen carefully. It should be determined by the type of countertops that are installed in your rental home.
Countertops can be damaged in several other ways; one such way is placing too much weight on a countertop. Damage could be done when there is an unusually heavy appliance or even a person standing on 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 certain things that could evade even a watchful tenant’s radar. Things like small leaks under a refrigerator or a drip under the cabinet from a sink water supply line could go on unnoticed, and these could potentially cause permanent water damage in a kitchen floor.
Moving furniture is one of the biggest culprits of unintentional floor damage. Dragging things, especially heavy items, across a laminate or wood floor can cause scratches, gouging, and tears. This is also one of the many ways carpets get torn. Setting heavy furniture in the wrong spot can crack or chip tile floors, also dropping heavy items, such as exercise weights or even books. Similar to countertops, applying 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. On the other hand, not cleaning often enough is also a common mistake. Mineral deposits from tap water build up to the point where they are almost impossible to remove and end up allowing mildew to form. Just like tile, when you put something that is too heavy in a bathtub, it can cause cracks. Using a bathtub for things it was not designed for can result in a variety of problems. These problems can range from unfixable scratches in a solid-surface unit to rust or coloring dye stains.
The most beneficial way to help tenants avoid unintentionally damaging your rental home’s interior surfaces is through information. Help them learn how to properly clean countertops, move heavy furniture, and so on. Educating them can do so much for preventing expensive repairs. At Real Property Management Innovation, we serve with both tenants and property owners to make sure that all parties care for the rental home with more than just helpful intentions, but with real practical knowledge as well.
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