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Move-in inpsection form

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k8i

New member
My property is in Florida. I do not live in state. I rented the property 2 yrs ago to my neighbors friend. She did not fill out and return to me the move-in inspection form. Instead she sent me an email a month later saying that she had only encountered 3 problems with the house. Some blinds didn't work, some security lights needed replacing, and the alarm beeped( she didn't know how to use it). That is all she stated that was wrong with the property. She has let the grass die even though it is in the lease she is responsible to water it regularly so it stays healthy and green. She also let several roof leaks go until i had to replace the roof and inside material. The inside will be done once covid restrictions loosen, but she is saying she now smells mold where one of the leaks was. a leak she waited to report. She does have $100,000 in renters insurance, so I'm wondering if rental insurance would cover that if it did turn out to be mold? Also, is the email she sent only stating that there are 3 minor things wrong as proof the home was in better shape before she moved in? I will be selling the house next year and no longer renting to her. I want to use what is needed from the deposit to fix the grass and damage done by her, her kids, and her dog. Will that letter be enough if she ends up taking it to small claims? I did take video and pics of the property before literally leaving & locking up the property to hand over to her, but my computer crashed and id have to send the hard drive in to see if i could even still retrieve the photos & videos. I asked her to properly fill out the form as to the original conditions and she said she would only fill one out with the damage that is of now. Damaged caused by her, not anything that is original except those mentioned in the letter. She said she filled out a new one every year at her other properties. I rented for a decade and never heard of that. Just sounds like a scam to not take responsibility for the damage she has caused. Will her original letter hold up as a move-in inspection form? Thank you in advance.
 
Last edited:


adjusterjack

Senior Member
She does have $100,000 in renters insurance, so I'm wondering if rental insurance would cover that if it did turn out to be mold?
I can give you the answer to that right now.

NO.

my computer crashed and id have to send the hard drive in to see if i could even still retrieve the photos & videos.
Better do that before you get down an dirty with her.

Will her original letter hold up as a move-in inspection form?
No way to predict.

As an absentee landlord with no local oversight, this kind of thing was bound to happen. You just managed to skate for 10 years until it did.

She should never have been let in the door without completion of the move in inspection and you should have had somebody local make sure it got done.

I suggest you study up on the Florida security deposit before you start making any deductions.

See 83.49 at:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0000-0099/0083/0083PARTIIContentsIndex.html
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
A landlord can, and should, create his own inspection form if pre-printed forms are not available. Though I'll bet there are numerous samples on the internet that can be used or modified as needed.
 

FarmerJ

Senior Member
you have to understand that this tenant could indeed take you to small claims court over every dime you hold back from the deposit claiming what you held back is unfair and your going to have to be able to defend each and every dime you hold back with reasonable forms of proofs such as pictures of repair needs she ignored to report and even then that is no promise you will and being out of state makes it worse to try to prove when things happened.
 

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