17/12/2021
What happens if your rental property gets damaged?
For a landlord, one of the top things they want to avoid is getting their investment damaged by a tenant. Conversely, a good lessee doesn’t want to spoil their rental home, as it means losing money, or worse: get taken to court. In this article, we will discuss the easiest way of avoiding this scenario.
The landlord has accepted your letter of offer and your earnest deposit, allowing you to book a rental unit in one of the most desirable places to rent in Malaysia.
But before you start moving in, the next few steps that you will do are so crucial as they will greatly reduce the odds of losing money for repairing stuff or causing damage to property. Basically, you and the landlord should first have a formal legal contract (tenancy agreement) that outlines who is responsible for repairing damages and who shoulders the cost. The second and last one is securing proof that the damage wasn’t caused by you. The details of both are explained below:
1. Sign tenancy agreement before moving into rental property
One of the best practices in the property leasing market is for both the landlord and tenant to accomplish the tenancy agreement, a contract that states the duties and obligations of each party throughout the tenancy.
Apart from describing the property being let, the agreement also typically includes an inventory or list of items provided by the owner to the tenant, such as fixtures, furniture, equipment, and appliances as well as the status and conditions of such things. The listed items should be in good condition at the end of the tenancy. More importantly, the tenancy agreement specifies who bears the responsibility for certain repairs.
2. Take photos or videos rental property before moving in
One of the most common squabbles between landlords and their tenants is disagreements whether the tenant has damaged the rental property or items therein, or it was already damaged even before the tenant moved in. The easiest way to prevent such disputes is to take photos/videos of the property being leased along with all of its items before moving in.
During the documentation process, it is also a smart move for the tenant to thoroughly inspect the property along with all of the items in it. For instance, check if the air-conditioner, fridge, and gas stoves are working. Also, don’t forget to confirm that the toilet flushes properly. Additionally, it’s best that both the landlord and tenant have copies of the picture and videos. If the tenant has failed to inspect the property and the items therein and eventually discovers there are flaws after moving in, then the owner has the right to refuse a request for repairs.
