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Having done 12 Tenant VACATE Check-Outs in 3 days * My Mantra is DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR & TEAR

By
Property Manager with Gibson Management Group, Ltd.

If my departing tenants follow my check-out instructions, use the CLEANING service vendors I suggest then they will most probably get all of their deposit back.

One issue that STILL seems to remain a bone of contention is DIRT.  A departing resident wanted to ARGUE with me that the WEAR/DIRT trail in front of where their couch was was NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR.  When I suggested he NOT pay the carpet cleaner if they could not remove the DIRT TRAIL, he wanted to argue 6-Years-As-A-Tenant and Normal-Wear-and-Tear.

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 A one, and a two, and a three....DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR...well, you get the idea...If you can CLEAN IT UP, it is NOT NORMAL WEAR and TEAR.

Posted by

Wallace S. Gibson is a Certified Property Manager with over 50 years of property management experience and expertise.  She maintains a specialized property management business in Central Virginia serving Albemarle, Greene, Fluvanna and Louisa counties  

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Comments(12)

Sussie Sutton
David Tracy Real Estate - Houston, TX
David Tracy Real Estate for Buyers & Sellers

I can feel that you are a bit exasperated with this ex-tenant...  Have a better evening.

Jun 24, 2013 09:29 AM
Mark Delgado
houses for rent, Solano County & Glen Cove - Benicia, CA
Benicia and Vallejo, Property Management, rental h
I agree with the sentiment all day long, thou as a fellow property manager i may be just a tad biased. Om a specific note- After 6 years isn't the carpet a candidate for replacement?
Jun 24, 2013 10:21 AM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

No.....NEW CARPET WHEN THEY MOVED IN....2 people 1 dog and the only item is the dirt trail in front of the sofa...a good carpet cleaner who PREtreated would have handled this appropriately

Jun 24, 2013 11:39 AM
Conrad Allen
Re/Max Professional Associates - Webster, MA
Webster, Ma, Realtor

Hi Wallace.  You have been quiet this month.  It looks like you have been out straight.

Jun 24, 2013 08:12 PM
Karen Kruschka
RE/MAX Executives - Woodbridge, VA
- "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"

Wallace  Another one I love is "broom clean" - there are a lot of incompetent brooms out there

Jun 25, 2013 06:55 AM
Michelle Francis
Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA
Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Wallace, 

We've just two of our messiest departures this past week.  Sadly, both of them "paid" folks to do something they didn't.  

I LOVE my iPhone - pictures are hard to argue. 

We share at every move-in that we are the happiest people of anyone when we can send the whole security deposit back to the tenants.  (Had two of those today as well!) 

All the best, Michelle

Jun 25, 2013 12:03 PM
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM
Gibson Management Group, Ltd. - Charlottesville, VA
LandlordWhisperer

I URGE departing residents to use MY cleaning and yard service vendors...they have my property key box code IN CASE they have to go back in and REdo something that was missed....I'm not giving that code to the departing residents' UNapproved vendor and they will pay ME a 20% service fee if I have to have something REdone

Jun 25, 2013 08:53 PM
Dale Baker
Baker Energy Audits and Commercial Properties Inspections - Claremont, NH
New Hampshire Relocation Real Estate Information

Howdy and morning Wallace, Happy Fourth to you and your family, may it be a mighty fun and safe one for y'all! 

Have a good one

Dale in New Hampshire

Jul 04, 2013 01:09 AM
Gay E. Rosen
Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty - Larchmont, NY
As Real as Real Estate Gets!

Wallace - I have a client who was so upset with his past tenant. Same issue.. clutter, dirt, mess, broken shades.. not normal for sure.

Jul 09, 2013 06:50 AM
Hella Mitschke Rothwell
(831) 626-4000 - Honolulu, HI
Hawaii & California Real Estate Broker

Wallace: I walked over a carpet at an empty house, and my feet turned black from fleas. The tenant had had cats. I presume that's taken care of when your professional carpet cleaner does the job and the tenant pays for that. Yuck.

Jul 09, 2013 07:32 AM
Roger D. Mucci
Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH
Lets shake things up at your home today!

Indeed it is not normal wear and tear, but I've had many over the years argue that point with me.

Jul 09, 2013 08:24 AM
Pat & Steve Pribisko
Keller Williams Greater Cleveland West - Westlake, OH

Wallace, what a great mantra," DIRT IS NOT NORMAL WEAR." Suggest.

 

Jul 09, 2013 08:59 AM