Damage and Liability: How to Protect Your Apartment in Long-Term Rent

Damage & Liability: Protect Your Apartment in Long-Term Rentals 🏠

Long-term renting can be a steady income source — and a source of potential headaches when damage occurs. This guide offers practical steps owners and landlords can use to reduce risk, document condition, and handle disputes fairly.

1. Prepare the unit before move-in ✅

• Do a thorough walk-through and create a signed move-in inventory with clear descriptions of walls, floors, appliances, fixtures, and keys.
• Take dated photos and store them securely (cloud or email). Photos are often decisive in disputes.
• Have both tenant and landlord sign the inventory and attach it to the lease.

Why: A clear baseline reduces ambiguity when assessing damages at move-out.

2. Lease agreement — make responsibility explicit ✍️

Include in the lease:

• Tenant duties for care and minor repairs.
• Inventory list and its legal status in disputes.
• Reporting procedure and response times for repairs.
• Deposit amount, allowed deductions, and return timeline.
• Rules for inspections and notice periods.

Tip: Avoid vague clauses like “normal wear and tear” without examples.

3. Security deposit — handle transparently 💶

• Use the deposit to cover damage beyond normal wear and unpaid bills. State clearly which damages are deductible.
• Describe documentation needed for deductions (invoices, photos, repair reports).
• Return the remaining deposit with a breakdown and receipts.

Transparency builds trust and reduces conflicts.

4. Insurance — an extra layer of protection 🛡️

• Consider property insurance and landlord liability coverage. This helps with major incidents like fire, floods, or theft.
• Insurance doesn’t replace an inventory but cushions financial impact for large claims.

Check deductibles and policy exclusions before relying on coverage.

5. Maintenance responsibilities — who fixes what 🔧

• Define minor versus major repairs. Tenants can handle bulbs and minor fixes, landlords handle structural and major system repairs.
• Quick responses to small issues (like leaks) prevent escalation and larger damage.

6. Document issues and disputes 📸📝

• Keep written records of all tenant requests and communications (messages, emails).
• For significant damage, obtain repair estimates and invoices; preserve all receipts.
• Use clear move-in/move-out checklists to compare conditions objectively.

7. Common scenarios and realistic approaches

• Small surface scratches: often considered normal wear — fix cost-effectively rather than deducting an excessive amount.
• Stains or ruined upholstery: use professional quotes when replacement is necessary.
• Appliance damage from misuse: document evidence and consider reasonable deductions.

8. Build a preventive landlord-tenant relationship 🤝

• Explain care rules at lease signing: ventilation, timely reporting of leaks, and appliance use guidelines.
• Encourage tenants to report issues early and offer a straightforward repair pathway.
• A reasonable, transparent approach decreases heated disputes.

Quick owner checklist before signing a lease

• Signed move-in inventory with photos — ready.
• Lease with clear deposit and repair clauses — finalized.
• Agreed communication and inspection process — in place.
• Decision on insurance — made.

If you’d like help preparing lease templates or conducting a move-in inventory, we can assist. Browse listings or start a search on our site: https://buyhome.ge/en/search

Contact BuyHome — we’ll help you choose and protect your property with practical solutions.