Wednesday, April 29, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
7
Normal Wear and Tear on Rental?
Dear
Property Guy
By Mike Zoormajian
Dear Property Guy,
I just moved out of a
rental I lived in for several
years. The Formica coun-
tertops had some cuts and
burns (my fault) in it when I
returned the house. The land-
lord wants to charge me for
a whole new countertop even
though the thing was pretty
beat down when I moved in.
4 Deposited
Dear Deposited,
Great question. A slight
twist on the old <Wear and
Tear= vs. <Damages= dis-
cussion. This is one of those
areas that can turn into a
huge hassle and get nasty and
expensive. Or it can go rela-
tively smooth if both parties
are reasonable and understand
the basic concepts in play.
In this case, you are own-
ing the fact that you damaged
the countertops. Cool. The
only question is how much
is fair to pay for that dam-
age. The exact answer is a
little squishy, but the concept
is basic. And that concept is
that of <useful life.=
Let9s say for example
that the useful life of a cheap
countertop is more like 20
years in a rental. (I like round
numbers, so work with me
here.) Let9s then say that
you lived there 5 years. If
you damaged it to the point
it needs to be replaced, you
should be on the hook for
25% of the cost of replace-
ment. Make sense?
So if your landlord is
getting quotes of $1,000 to
replace the countertop, a
fair amount for you to pay
is more like $250. So if your
landlord is trying to hit you
for the full replacement, he
would definitely get smacked
down in court.
I recommend having a
conversation with them and
discussing this concept of
<useful life.= Understand
exactly how old the counter-
top was. Then try to agree on
how long a countertop should
last in a rental setting. Get
some expert opinions here.
Then determine exactly how
much it will cost to replace.
My hope is that it turns into
an easy conversation from
there. Good luck!
4 Mike
Dear Property Guy,
I just moved out of
my rental. I got the nor-
mal move-out statement,
which deducted more than
I thought was fair from my
deposit, but I could live
with it. I9ve been out of the
place almost two months,
and now get a bill for clean-
ing from the new property
manager. Do I need to pay
this?
4 Sisters Security
Dear Security,
Short answer: No.
L o n g e r a n s we r: A ll
accounting for security
deposits needs to happen
within 31 days. Renter must
be provided this account-
ing in writing, along with
details of any deductions.
This is all covered in fas-
cinating detail under ORS
(Oregon Revised Statutes)
90.300.
4 Mike
Mike Zoormajian is prin-
cipal at WetDog Properties
in Sisters, OR. Providing
local property manage-
ment and investor services.
Questions, comments to:
letters@wetdogpnw.com
Free legal advice is worth
what you pay for it. Consult
a real attorney before doing
anything crazy.
PHOTO PROVIDED
“Pasture’s Dawn Light” by Sisters watercolor artist Winnie Givot.
MOTH AUCTION: Sisters
Folk Festival is taking
annual auction online
Continued from page 3
Oregon artists and businesses
who have contributed.
SFF creative director Brad
Tisdel said, <SFF staff and
board truly thank you for
sticking with us through these
uncertain times. Your support
of SFF9s organizational mis-
sion is so important and tre-
mendously appreciated right
now.=
Follow Sisters Folk
Festival on Instagram,
Facebook, or Twitter for up-
to-date information. To learn
more about the Sisters Folk
Festival organization and
preview the more than 70
items that will be up for auc-
tion go to www.sistersfolk
festival.org/auction-items.
“Sisters Businesses are Here to Serve” page to find curbside pick up, delivery, and more.