I have been a tenant and a landlord. even as a rookie landlord, I kept on eye on the premise and did repairs and upkeep. A basic part of being a landlord and equally as much a responsibility of a landlord as paying rent is of a client. Saying not inspecting or repairing or maintaining a property for 9 years was a 'rookie' mistake is nonsense. that is like a new tenant saying they didn't know they had to pay rent - oops - 'rookie mistake'.

The tenants probably didn't put much thought into clean up before moving out as they knew the owner didn't care or respect the place him/herself - given Op didn't do repairs or maintenance for 9 years.

Anonymous wrote:Me thinks tenant trolls are posing

really? i think people have been pretty reasonable in telling the OP that his expectations aren't in line with most people's experiences as a landlord

Me thinks tenant trolls are posing

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why weren't you inspecting annually?

Rookie mistake.

OP here. Yes, it was a rookie mistake. They were my first & only tenants. And, they paid on time. Had no idea my house was being trashed.

OP, you should have been inspecting the house every year and replacing things over time, just like you would on your own home. We also own a rental, we inspect it every year and the tenant alerts us of anything that needs to be replaced. I would suggest you get hardwood floors in your rental since they last longer than carpet. Or you should have had the carpet steam cleaned a few times.

Trying to keep their deposit is risky as they could sue you, then you would end up with legal costs and still having to pay to replace everything that you failed to replace over the past 9 years.

Keep inspecting & replacing so the tenants can keep trashing the place?? No thanks. Getting them out, & then fixing the place. Personally, if I were the tenant, I would be jumping up and down about it, & not being content living in that filth that they created. Hence "the hoarders" comment.

I lived in a rental for three years. You can't expect a rental to stay in 100% perfect condition if you have people living there, things will break, wear and tear will occur. It was his job to monitor it so he would know the condition.

OP, no offense, but I can't decide if you are a troll

If you're for real, then I have to tell you, you went 9 years and you never had to do a single repair? If you were raising the rent every year then you have made off like a bandit, sir.

9 years is way overdue for carpet replacement for a rental.The countertop sounds like borderline damage for 9 years (if it was 1 year I'd say damage for sure) but if it was me I wouldn't charge them.

"Trash your house"? "Section 8"? Is your property in Bethesda or something? From those of us in the trenches in DC rental property, here's some context for you, for those phrases. How about a tenant ripping the kitchen sink off the wall and stealing it, along with the fridge, after several months of non-payment and eviction proceedings.

You've had it good - be thankful! And if you are struggling to take the emotion out of landlording, hire a property manager. Not everyone has the personality for this. You need to forget the notion that this is your "home". Maybe it used to be. It's now a cash-producing asset, like bonds and dividend-paying stocks.