Condo Trashed and Management Comp Non-responsive in recouping expenses

[Ltdplus9]

Florida; Need any direction or insight anyone can offer PLEASE.

I just closed on a Florida condo and have been using the prior owners rental management company temporarily since they had it booked when I took ownership and asked if I wouldn't mind letting them keep those bookings. I agreed and we signed a temporary contract. We agreed to a date to transition from their rental control to my control. My plan was to rent it myself and have nothing to do with a property/rental manager.

Of course when those final tenants checked out we found the place completely trashed...blood in the beds, spit on the walls and balcony, cooktop badly marred and furniture left overturned. It was a nightmare.

I generated a list of damages and estimates to repair which far exceeded the $300 security deposit. The property manager claims the tenant cancelled the credit card and they have no way to recoup the security deposit, let alone money in excess of the agreed to $300 security deposit. I asked the management company to give me the tenants name and number but they became non-responsive when I told them I wanted to talk with the tenant.

I don't think I have many options but any advice at all would be so greatly appreciated. I'm new at this and I'm sickened that someone can get away with doing such things to my property and the rental management company can get away with being so non-responsive. Even some threatening legal-type language I can throw at the management company would be a help.

Please help.

[las365]

I agreed and we signed a temporary contract.

What does your contract say about the management company's liability for damage caused by the tenants it books? What do the leases say about the tenants' liability?

You should have the contracts reviewed by an attorney in order to get information that is useful.

[Ltdplus9]

I agree...I definitely need an expert on my side to translate the contract and determine the rental managers liability in all this. But what about the fact that they have become totally non-responsive? If I were still a client of theirs, things would be different, but since I'm taking my condo out of his control, he could care less about recouping any repair expenses AND he won't give me the tenants contact info so I could engage them. So frustrating. For all I know, they collected the $300 security deposit and have no intent on passing it through to me.

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by Ltdplus9

Florida; Need any direction or insight anyone can offer PLEASE.

I just closed on a Florida condo and have been using the prior owners rental management company temporarily since they had it booked when I took ownership and asked if I wouldn't mind letting them keep those bookings. I agreed and we signed a temporary contract. We agreed to a date to transition from their rental control to my control. My plan was to rent it myself and have nothing to do with a property/rental manager.

Of course when those final tenants checked out we found the place completely trashed...blood in the beds, spit on the walls and balcony, cooktop badly marred and furniture left overturned. It was a nightmare.

I generated a list of damages and estimates to repair which far exceeded the $300 security deposit. The property manager claims the tenant cancelled the credit card and they have no way to recoup the security deposit, let alone money in excess of the agreed to $300 security deposit. I asked the management company to give me the tenants name and number but they became non-responsive when I told them I wanted to talk with the tenant.

I don't think I have many options but any advice at all would be so greatly appreciated. I'm new at this and I'm sickened that someone can get away with doing such things to my property and the rental management company can get away with being so non-responsive. Even some threatening legal-type language I can throw at the management company would be a help.

Please help.

**A: threaten to file a complaint with the state real estate licensing department and also sue the property management co. if they do not cooperate.

[Ltdplus9]

What kind of License does a vacation rental property manager operate with?

[HomeGuru]

Originally Posted by Ltdplus9

What kind of License does a vacation rental property manager operate with?

**A: a real estate broker's or salesperson license.