Whether viewed from an owner's or landlord's perspective, the wear and tear of property are unforeseeable. Nonetheless, you cannot term them in the same category as damage, given there exists an evident distinction between the two. Property wear and tear result from daily use, climatic changes, and ageing, also known as natural deterioration, occurring without any negligence, misuse, or irresponsibility of the resident or tenant. On the other hand, property damage occurs due to abuse/misuse, accident, and laxity. In such a case, a landlord can claim expenses from the tenant by deducting their deposit or direct payment.
To understand this further, let's highlight the key differences between the Avoid Wear and Tear of Property via examples.
| Wear and Tear of property |
Damage to property |
- Worn out or faded carpets.
|
Burns, torn, or pet stains on the carpet. |
| Peeling or cracked paint. |
Claw marks of your pet and shoe stains. |
| Faded curtains due to excessive sunlight. |
Ripped/torn or missing curtains. |
| Dirt or loose grout around on bathroom tiles. |
Chipped or broken enamel on sinks, toilets, and bathtubs. |
| Cracked window pane due to faulty foundation and climatic changes. |
Broken windows due to slamming, rough use, or accident. |
Though the wear and tear of property may not entirely be controllable, there are ways by which we can reduce the intensity of wearing away and increase the lifespan of a fixed asset. Listed below are some preventive measures:
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Quality flooring
No doubt, using a carpet gives your house an aesthetic and royal feel. Nonetheless, it requires a lot of maintenance concerning wear and tear, resulting from the footwear of residents/ visitors, climatic conditions, and the quality of the material. Hiring the necessary experts to wash or dry clean these overlays only adds to your expenses. Hence, a healthy alternative to this would be employing quality tiling, laminate, or vinyl flooring. These are much more durable when compared to carpets, easier to maintain, and safer for residents with children.
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Maintaining the kitchen
One of the busiest and most challenging sections to maintain in the house, the kitchen has many activities, whether cooking, baking, storing, or cleaning. Therefore, to avoid any kind of halts or breakdown, we can use some of the following techniques.
- Install splash guards behind your cooker and an exhaust fan to disperse the steam or smell caused due to cooking.
- Make use of silicon material for the sinks at your house.
- Tiles or gloss paint help in reducing stains and moisture.
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Measures for the Bathroom
Proper Ventilation is integral to keeping your bathroom fresh and hygienic. Ensure an appropriate fitting for installing the exhaust fan. To prevent steam and mould damage, use paints consisting of antimold additives, also oversee the grout and silicon areas, as per maintenance needs.
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Addressing plumbing issues
Dripping taps can cause marks on the sinks, and leaking pipes could build mould in them, even damaging the floors. In the case of even an inkling of such a situation, ring up the plumber and address the issue. If the property is on lease and the tenant faces plumbing issues, the landlord must act quickly.
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Continuous inspections
Regularly inspecting the properties will help identify potential problems, saving you cost and money. These include updating your electronic appliances and ensuring your utilities are in working order. Following up on maintenance will also set the right example for tenants.
Inspections are a must, especially for properties given on lease. A landlord must tend to tenants' grievances in the quickest time possible. At the same time, maintain a rental inspection checklist while taking pictures and documenting the house's goods before the tenant step-in.
Some other measures you could also employ are the following:
- Applying new paint: Not only does this add colour and style to your house, but it also helps in protecting the interiors, even protecting against climatic elements like wind, dust, and water.
- Repair/preempt any roof damage: Changing weather, like heavy rainfall, thunderstorms, and strong winds, can cause severe damage to your roof and, if not addressed within a specific time, could lead to accidents.
- Maintaining the trees and bushes: As trees tend to grow, they require larger spaces and could end up interfering with your home roof and exteriors. Thus make sure to time the trees and bushes.
- Effective drainage system: Any blockage in the drainage could lead to flooding and debris on your property. It is necessary to ensure no clogging and replace the outdated pipes.
Conclusion
While you cannot entirely blanket your property from wear and tear, ways exist to minimise them, helping you save time, money, and other resources. However, extra caution needs to occur if properties are leased out, especially from the landlord, following regular inspection and maintenance checks. Hopefully, the above blog serves to dish out some vital ideas.
