Schedule Of Dilapidations

When a home is being rented, just as with any type of property, an agreement is signed by both the landlord and the tenant which define certain rights and responsibilities by each of the parties to the transaction. As part of the responsibilities of the tenant, lease agreements will virtually always require that the property be maintained to a certain predefined level of standard. While normal wear and tear on property is inevitable, and every single scratch on tile or wood floors need not be tracked and reimbursed for, an lease agreement will define what major damage is which will need to be repaired by the tenant.

Defining the Damage

While rental agreements will define what damage should be repaired, in practice this isn’t always clear and the lines are gray. What is minor and what is major damage after all? To communicate their understanding of damage an landlord or their agent will review The property and identify which damage should be fixed. The communication of this damage is known as a schedule of dilapidations and should be examined by the tenant and possibly contested if it is unreasonable.

Receiving an Schedule of Dilapidations

When an tenant receives a schedule of Dilapidations they should review the schedule in addition to their lease agreement and see if they agree or disagree with the items identified in the schedule of Dilapidations. If they disagree they should communicate in writing the disagreement and possibly retain an representative of the listed damage is significant and there is belief that the schedule was provided with an ulterior motive. If not, repairs should be made to the property to make the landlord whole.