The definition of normal wear and tear will depend on the judge’s opinion, and the property’s location will often have something to do with it. For example, a house in the inner city will have far different standards for normal wear and tear than a $300,000 house in a suburban neighborhood. The house in the inner city historically will have more wear and tear considered as normal.. However, in the more expensive suburban house, the same type of wear and tear as the inner city may be charged to the tenant.
Carpet can be especially difficult when it comes to defining wear and tear. For example, there were tenants who lived in a house with brand new carpet. After a year, the tenants moved out and the carpet was full of grease. It’s hard to imagine what those tenants could have been doing, but the carpet could not be salvaged. The Grand Rapids property management company charged the full amount of carpet replacement from the security deposit. The tenants fought that charge, and the judge discounted the carpet and decided the tenants were responsible for paying only half of its replacement. Another judge might have ruled in favor of the property management company and required the tenants to pay the full amount. It can be very objective.
There are certain cases where you know that the problem is a direct result of tenant damage. For example, if there’s a clogged toilet and it’s discovered that a child put a toy down the toilet and flushed it, that’s tenant damage. The tenant will be responsible for the costs associated with taking the toilet off and fixing the problem.
You can legally charge the tenant for any damage that clearly goes beyond normal wear and tear. Most property managers will charge for all damages caused by the tenant in an effort to get as much money back for the owners as possible. However, the courts won’t allow you to charge for everything, and you need to be prepared for different judges having different opinions about wear and tear.
Feel free to contact us at United Properties if you want to talk further about normal wear and tear, or if you have any specific questions we can help you answer.
Sergio joined United Properties in 2020. He is a graduate from Pickens Technical College as a Nurse Assistant and as a Small Animal Care Provider in 2010. In the past nine years, Sergio has had various jobs, all focused around customer service.
Eden joined United Properties in 2016. Eden graduated from Davenport University in 2015 with an Associate’s in Business Administration. She’s the Executive Assistant to the Owner of United Properties, with a focus on procedural documentation. She enjoys playing guitar, reading, and doing outdoor activities. Eden is trilingual and able to communicate in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. 
David joined the United Properties team in 2019 as the Director of Client Relations and Business Development. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading all leasing, application underwriting, tenant relations, accounts receivable, process improvement, remote workers, and general office functionality (essentially anything outside of maintenance and service). David comes from a longstanding career at a Fortune 15 company primarily in a sales and customer service leadership role.
Tim VandenToorn serves as Managing Partner of United Properties of West Michigan, working closely with our owners and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the company. Tim also started United Realty, which serves as a brokerage for United Properties and assists investors with the acquisition of investment properties.
Matthew joined the United Properties in early 2020. He is a graduate of Lee University with a bachelor’s in Intercultural Studies and also a master’s in Discipleship and Christian Formation. Matthew serves as a project manager over the Rent Ready process. He has 20 years of construction experience and over 10 years of experience in leadership positions. He oversees a team of technicians and schedules outside vendors getting properties back to the United rent-ready standard so that they can be leased again.
Carla joined United Properties in late 2019 as a billing specialist. Carla ensures invoices are received from contractors and bills them out in a timely fashion.
Cristina joined United Properties as the billing assistant in October of 2020. She has experience as a technology professional, an English-Spanish translator, and has worked the past several years as the treasurer of her condominium.
Rick is one of the newest members of our team. He has an extensive background in customer service. He and his wife are raising their 4-year-old son. Rick loves beef jerky so much he makes his own.
Harriet joined United Properties as a billing assistant in February of 2021. She has experience as a bookkeeper and a Property Manager for a Real Estate account. She was a working student during her college days. Harriet loves cleaning because she thinks it is therapeutic. She also loves watching series during her free time, and she’s a fur mom of one dog. Her inspiration to work every day is her family.
Diego has an extensive background in customer service and, most recently in Maintenance and
My name is Paulina Gonzalez. I have been working for the company since early 2021. I studied social work and have 7 years of experience in customer service. I speak English and Spanish. I am very patient, and I like to ask a lot of questions to learn a lot. I enjoy small road trips and cold rainy weather. I have a 3-month-old puppy, and he is my favorite thing in the world.
Jessica has a Bachelor’s Degree in Financial strategies and public accounting and is studying a masters in Blockchain and Fintech regulation. She has previous experience as a customer service representative. She speaks English and Spanish. She loves taking long walks with her three dogs, hiking and road tripping during the weekends.
Chris Good is new to the United Properties Team since June 2022 as a Business Development Manager. With years of experience in both the construction industry (Master Electrician) and the Real Estate industry (Broker), he will closely work with new and experienced investors to facilitate their real estate goals.
Melba Alvarez
Enrique Vergara (Henry)
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