tenant’s “small dog” caused $4,000 in damage
A landlord friend agreed to let a tenant keep a “small, well-trained dog.”
The lease said pets had to be under 20 lbs and housebroken.
For the first few months, everything seemed fine.
Rent on time, no complaints from neighbors.
Then, during a routine inspection, the landlord noticed deep scratch marks on the back door.
The tenant laughed it off — “Oh, he just gets excited when we come home.”
By the time the lease ended, the “small dog” had chewed through baseboards, clawed at door frames, and ripped patches out of the carpet.
There were stains in multiple rooms that professional cleaning couldn’t remove.
The security deposit was $1,000.
Repairs and replacement costs came to nearly $4,000.
The tenant argued that “normal wear and tear” should cover it.
It took months in small claims court to recover part of the cost.
Some damage is just life happening.
This… was not th
#House #landlord #RentalDrama
