meldresler
Member
What is the name of your state? Virginia
I wrote a couple of weeks ago - there was a flood in the condo I rent out from a pipe burst in the unit above. The tenant (above) had turned off the heat, and so everyone had presumed this was a simple liability issue, but now they are claiming that the pipe that burst was in a different area and wasn't caused by the heat turned off.
ANYHOW, that's not my question. My tenant is excellent and has really had a good attitude about the mess. I am trying to work through what my legal responsibilities are towards him (I will go beyond this because for me the biggest financial catastrophe would be for him to move out). He had just moved in and didn't have renter's insurance. So here are the damages:
o his new bed ($1200) was ruined by the water.
o he had to spend around 3-5 nights in a hotel while blowers were drying the carpet.
o he is now living in only the (large) living room while part of the ceiling is missing in the bedroom, the carpet padding needs to be replaced, and the room will be painted (when the insurance companies figure out next steps).
So ... I see rent reductions ("refunds") for time in which the unit was uninhabitable; and reductions for time in which the unit was not fully usable. The bed would have been covered by his renter's insurance; not sure where the hotel bills fall. NOTE: I AM NOT TRYING TO SHIRK ANY RESPONSIBILITIES, I REALLY WANT TO BE FAIR. I had just paid a huge realtor commission to find an A+ tenant and I want to do the right thing here, but what are the basic legalities?
Thanks!
I wrote a couple of weeks ago - there was a flood in the condo I rent out from a pipe burst in the unit above. The tenant (above) had turned off the heat, and so everyone had presumed this was a simple liability issue, but now they are claiming that the pipe that burst was in a different area and wasn't caused by the heat turned off.
ANYHOW, that's not my question. My tenant is excellent and has really had a good attitude about the mess. I am trying to work through what my legal responsibilities are towards him (I will go beyond this because for me the biggest financial catastrophe would be for him to move out). He had just moved in and didn't have renter's insurance. So here are the damages:
o his new bed ($1200) was ruined by the water.
o he had to spend around 3-5 nights in a hotel while blowers were drying the carpet.
o he is now living in only the (large) living room while part of the ceiling is missing in the bedroom, the carpet padding needs to be replaced, and the room will be painted (when the insurance companies figure out next steps).
So ... I see rent reductions ("refunds") for time in which the unit was uninhabitable; and reductions for time in which the unit was not fully usable. The bed would have been covered by his renter's insurance; not sure where the hotel bills fall. NOTE: I AM NOT TRYING TO SHIRK ANY RESPONSIBILITIES, I REALLY WANT TO BE FAIR. I had just paid a huge realtor commission to find an A+ tenant and I want to do the right thing here, but what are the basic legalities?
Thanks!