As a tenant you have to pay for any damage to the furnishings caused by excessive wear and tear. Excessive wear and tear means that items of furniture or furnishings have to be replaced or repaired before the end of their service life. The following types of damage often occur through carelessness: The perfume slips out of your hands and causes a crack in the washbasin or the spice jar falls out of your hand while cooking and leaves scratches in the glass ceramic cooker. If the damage is unforeseen and sudden, as in the examples, your personal liability insurance will usually step in and cover the costs incurred after deducting the excess.
However, personal liability insurance does not finance gradually inflicted damage. In such cases, you as the tenant must pay for the repair of the damage yourself. Examples are: Nicotine deposits on the walls, smoke smells or self-inflicted mould, for example, if you have not aired the room enough, or scratches in the parquet floor caused by the office chair constantly rolling back and forth.
Of course you do not have to pay for damage that already existed when you moved in and which was noted in the handover report.
Repairing damage caused by tenants
When you move out, you should inform your landlord promptly about damage as mentioned above. He or she can then organize the repair in good time, and any delays or loss of rental income can be avoided. For more substantial damage or if your landlord demands compensation, you are obliged to inform your third-party liability insurer immediately.
The repair costs for damage caused by tenants are based on an item’s service life. For example, a ceramic stove top usually has a service life of 15 years. If it has to be repaired after ten years, a maximum of two thirds of the replacement value can be calculated. You can see the service life for individual items of furniture and furnishings in the service life table of the tenants association.
