LL - dealing wall mounted tvs, color repiants by tenant (lease, renters)
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So we're sort of newbies to LL'ing and have already learned some lessons.
So - the husband and I aren't big tv watchers. We've really only had one tv at any given time. When we had a box style tv - it was always in a nice cabinet which could be closed when we weren't watching it. In our current home, the tv is in a custom built-in.
One of our rental units is condo and our first tenants are preparing to move out. My husband was there to do some work yesterday and noticed that they had four large tv wall mounted.
Obviously - they will be responsible for wall patching and painting as they had also painted several of the rooms a different color without permission. (In the future , leases will state that permission must be granted to repaint!)
My question is this - how do other LL's deal with wall mounted TV's ? At some point, after several tenants - I can't imagine that the wall is going to be able to handle another person anchoring a large tv in the same place? In the condo - places like over the fireplace and across from the bed in the master where I assume future tenants are going to mount tvs .
If a tenant attempts to mount a tv and it falls because the wall has been patched too many times - is there any sort of liability assumption on our part?
Can we specify that wall mounted TV's aren't allowed? Is that reasonable? While we've never wall mounted - our flat screen has had a safety anchor in the wall behind it to keep it for tipping (We have a small child)
I'm a new LL too. Hopefully the tenant's security deposit will cover the damages. I've learned that inspections -- quarterly or bi-annual are a landlord must-do.
I would not allow wall-mounted TVs specifically for liability reasons.
So we're sort of newbies to LL'ing and have already learned some lessons.
So - the husband and I aren't big tv watchers. We've really only had one tv at any given time. When we had a box style tv - it was always in a nice cabinet which could be closed when we weren't watching it. In our current home, the tv is in a custom built-in.
One of our rental units is condo and our first tenants are preparing to move out. My husband was there to do some work yesterday and noticed that they had four large tv wall mounted.
Obviously - they will be responsible for wall patching and painting as they had also painted several of the rooms a different color without permission. (In the future , leases will state that permission must be granted to repaint!)
My question is this - how do other LL's deal with wall mounted TV's ? At some point, after several tenants - I can't imagine that the wall is going to be able to handle another person anchoring a large tv in the same place? In the condo - places like over the fireplace and across from the bed in the master where I assume future tenants are going to mount tvs .
If a tenant attempts to mount a tv and it falls because the wall has been patched too many times - is there any sort of liability assumption on our part?
Can we specify that wall mounted TV's aren't allowed? Is that reasonable? While we've never wall mounted - our flat screen has had a safety anchor in the wall behind it to keep it for tipping (We have a small child)
TIA
State everything in the lease: No repainting, no recarpeting, no wall mounted television, no photos on the walls, no pets, no.....
That is damage to walls and those repairs should come out of the security deposit, be sure and make a specific list of the damage, the repair cost, etc.
Check on your property once a month or every two months, put it in the lease it will happen, follow up, and give the legal amount of notice.
Take photos of the home after all repairs and repainting is done and use as "before" photos.
Then when your renters move out take photos before any repairs or repainting is done and use as
"after" photos.
Learn the rules, regulations and rights of Landlord's and Renters in your area.
There is a sticky at the top of the renting part of the forum that has a list of all states.
Be specific, be detailed, and follow up, do not just put it in the lease then not do what you have stated you are going to do.
You might request all requests for repairs be put in writing as a follow up by the renter after the initial telephone call to notify you there is an issue, not email.
If you supply appliances be specific as to how those appliances will be repaired or replaced.
We have rented for years and have our own appliances so we always ask the landlord take out their appliances. That way if there are any repair/replacement issues it is on us, not them but we prefer to use what is ours because we know what we do to our appliances.
Others who are more knowledgeable about being a Landlord can help you further.
I am just posting as a long time renter with the things we have had in our various leases.
You charge the tenants to repair and repaint that one wall plus repainting every wall that they painted without permission.
Yes, you can change your lease to say no wall mounted tv. Just with what you've said, I suspect that you need a new lease anyway. A decent lease would already cover painting and wall damage. I hope you aren't using g a boilerplate lease from the stationary store. Get a good lease that is specific to your area.
Another option, if you think tenants will continue to want a wall mounted tv in the same location would be to permanently mount some sort of framework that is designed to support a tv
Wall mounted TVs are common these days and will only increase in popularity... other tenants will WANT one, I'm sure of it. If I were you - and the mounts look sturdy enough and not intrusive - I would leave them in place above the fireplace, etc. The major points of the house.
If the new tenant does want one, it's already in place to support it. If they do not, they can hang a wreath or something over the mount to conceal/decorate instead. Win-win...
A standard heavy TV placed on a heavy wall-mounted bracket creates way more damage to any wall than a flat screen on a flat-screen wall mount. The last time I moved it took no more than a few minutes to spackle over the small holes and apply a small daub of paint. I can't imagine a LL disallowing wall-mounted flat screen TVs for fear of liability issues.
Nor do you need to specify in your lease that painting requires permission. You should have a standard clause in your lease which clearly states that the premises are to be returned to the landlord in their original condition less normal wear and tear. In this case where the tenants have painted the walls a different color and without permission, you're legally entitled to deduct the cost of repainting from their security deposit. Best policy is to NEVER allow a tenant to repaint.
We had a property manager and he never mentioned the color changes , just that the place looked good (clean). We ended up parting ways with our PM - he took another FT job and we are managing ourselves at this point. Anyway - husband said it looked like they did a good job with the painting and they plan to repaint it back to the original color when they leave. We'll see how it looks when they move out .....
Our first rental - we had a professional PM company and a nightmare tenant. Ended up in small claims court for 10K (we won). Some of the things that the tenant did - I had no idea what to charge and we were already over the small claims court max anyway. One of the things they did was to rip out all of the builder installed closeting systems (this was brand new model home with professional closet installation). These tenants moved ALOT of family members and ripped out all the closets and "redid" with floor to ceiling racks and hooks and bars all over the place. They even installed all sorts of closet mate type bars and shelving on the walls of the rooms for all the clothing from the extra people. All of the doorways in the house had bar to hang clothing drilled into the molding, etc... So we have been very clear with all tenants since that they are not allowed to rip out the closet walls/racks/shelving/etc....
A standard heavy TV placed on a heavy wall-mounted bracket creates way more damage to any wall than a flat screen on a flat-screen wall mount. The last time I moved it took no more than a few minutes to spackle over the small holes and apply a small daub of paint. I can't imagine a LL disallowing wall-mounted flat screen TVs for fear of liability issues.
Nor do you need to specify in your lease that painting requires permission. You should have a standard clause in your lease which clearly states that the premises are to be returned to the landlord in their original condition less normal wear and tear. In this case where the tenants have painted the walls a different color and without permission, you're legally entitled to deduct the cost of repainting from their security deposit. Best policy is to NEVER allow a tenant to repaint.
I get what you are saying - the cosmetic damage is minimal if you will. There is no doubt that we can spackle and repaint. Although here in California, we have the orange peel texture thing on our walls and it's a little trickier to do a good job of making it look seemless. However, even if the wall looks good - my concern is what happens when the next, and next, and next tenants attempts to put heavy anchors in the same place.
ie - it used to be in military housing - you were required to supply your own window treatments. At one point we were in a very old unit and when we went to hang curtains , the wall areas where you would put the bracket were more spackle under the paint than "wall". We ended up having to get suspension rods because there was no way to hang curtains that wouldn't result in danger of them coming loose from the walls.
I'm afraid it would be the same thing over time with wall mounted flat screens.
As far as the painting - our previous PM never made the trek up to the 3rd floor bedrooms where the repainting was done.
Wall mounted TVs are common these days and will only increase in popularity... other tenants will WANT one, I'm sure of it. If I were you - and the mounts look sturdy enough and not intrusive - I would leave them in place above the fireplace, etc. The major points of the house.
If the new tenant does want one, it's already in place to support it. If they do not, they can hang a wreath or something over the mount to conceal/decorate instead. Win-win...
I've considered that option but are flat screen mounts universal? And if so, is there a way to word something (that would hold up in court) regarding what happens if to the tv - like it falls and breaks because it's not installed properly by the tenant ?
Location: St Thomas, USVI - Seattle, WA - Gulf Coast, TX
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Hold a large enough security deposit to hire a professional to fix drywall/spackle/paint when needed after a tv mount comes down. Simple. There's truly no need for further explanation to your tenant when it comes to things like that and there is no reason to feel guilty about withholding a portion of their deposit for such a repair. It should fall under a basic blanket of damage repairs being deducted from their deposit and is completely normal. This is why you collect a security deposit, so save yourself the headache of trying to do it yourself and the headache of a tenant potentially doing a terrible job. I do not allow my tenants to paint AT ALL, to ensure quality, prevent ugly drips, etc, nor do I permit them to take on repairs without consulting me. I would not allow a tenant to complete drywall work unless they were a pro. People are no good at that stuff and you want work to be completed at a professional level in order to keep your rental in the best shape possible, thus attracting quality renters and retaining the property's value. My leases specify that pinholes from hanging picture frames and the like will be considered "normal wear and tear" (I'm happy to fill those and touch up paint real quick. It's easy, and, in my experience, your tenants will likely not do it properly/professionally if you give them the option to do it themselves anyway.). All other damage will be deducted from their security deposit. Just let your renters know/include in your lease that they are welcome to hang TV brackets, but that larger holes or any wall damage will be repaired by a professional only, as the renter's expense.
No, you do not assume any liability for falling tv's. If the bracket was mounted incorrectly (not in a stud, which is basically the only way it could fall) then that's their problem/mistake. In fact, their error in hanging the bracket is just another cause for requiring them to pay for drywall/spackle/paint repairs. It's no different from a picture falling off a wall because it was hung improperly. Not your problem.
Yes, you can specify no wall mounted tv's if you want. Completely acceptable. Might be kinder and widen your renter-candidate pool if, instead, you specify that you want to oversee the process of installing and take-down, but you can absolutely specify that they are not allowed instead. This is not unreasonable.
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