09-Jan-2009

First, you need to go back to the contents of the lease agreement and see what the lease states. Most leases state that the tenants will be responsible for any damage that is done to the property while they are under the lease. There may also be a provision in the lease that allows for the landlord/owner to pay for any damage out of the deposit. However, be very careful about taking money out of the deposit before the lease is up. This may leave you without any deposit at the end of the lease and nothing to fall back on if there is any additional damage or the tenants do not fulfill their end of the lease agreement.

These clauses are very important in a lease. Before you give a tenant a lease contract to sign... both parties (landlord and tenant) need to read it carefully.