If you own a rental property but had a tenant trash it when they left, then make sure you read this article because we’re addressing the all-too-common problems that landlords have when they say, “Help! My last tenant trashed my Dallas house!”
Do you own a rental property? Did you have a tenant leave it in less-than-perfect condition? Sadly, it happens! In fact, it’s an experience that probably every landlord has faced at least once. If you’ve found yourself with an empty rental property and are saying, “Help! My tenant trashed my Dallas house” then here are some things you can do about it…
Is it worth going after the tenant?
You need to first assess the damage and decide if it’s worth going after the tenant legally. Unfortunately, it often isn’t worth the hassle because it may be a time consuming and even an expensive effort to get the tenant to pay you back. However, if the damage is significant enough, this might be the route you want to take.
Is it worth repairing the damage?
From holes in the walls to missing toilets to missing appliances – we’ve heard of just about everything you can possibly imagine! Sometimes a bit of drywall and paint will fix the problem, in which case you may want to fix it up and rent it out again, and then just accept the inconvenience as the cost of doing business. However, if the damage is not worth repairing yourself, then you might be interested in a couple of other options:
You could rent your house to a handyman
One little-known option that can be actually really helpful is to find a handyman who wants to rent the house. In exchange for a discount on rent (or even free rent) they can fix up the house while they’re living there in order to help make it a nice rental property again. Make sure you have a timeline all spelled out in writing in order to help prevent the handy man staying too long without getting the work done in a timely manner.
You could sell the house
One option is to sell the house and move on from owning a frustrating rental property. However, be aware that if you try to sell the house on the open market, you may need to make the repairs and fix it up first in order for a real estate agent to list it. Another option is to sell privately to a house-buying team like ours that buys homes directly from buyers with cash and can close typically within 7 days or more. (We buy houses in as-is condition, and we’ll fix them up ourselves after closing).
If you’re feeling done with the tenant situation, call us, and we’ll make a cash offer on your property so you can move on with your life!