Damage caused by a resident, whether it be a hole in a bedroom door or a baseball through a living room window, is in almost all cases, billable to the resident. Sometimes these charges can be assessed when processing a SODA at move-out while other times, this happens with a current resident household.
Below are a few helpful tips for assessing charges and dealing with residents that wish to dispute them.
When assessing charges be sure to:
-Document the event or damage thoroughly. Â Pictures, Manager Log notes, and Maintenance Requests can all be useful tools.
-Notify the current/former resident of charges being assessed in writing.
-Be factual in your description of the charges, including dates, times, locations, etc.
-Address the damage promptly. You do not have to wait for a resident to respond before fixing the damage.
Disputed charges:
-Residents do have the right to dispute charges assessed.
-Advise them to put their disputes in writing and send them to the Site Leasing Office.
-Disputes received on site should be reviewed and responded to by the property manager in writing.
-Managers should consult their property supervisor with questions. Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
If you have any questions, please contact your property supervisor.