Case study: A partying tenant and 22 000 zł worth of damage to the property

Teresa is an experienced landlord, having several apartments on long-term tenancy in Warsaw. Although most of her relationships with her tenants have been positive, she has also met one who has caused significant damage to her rental property.

Renting an apartment with a sudden twist

Initially, Teresa rented the property to a young couple, and the rental agreement was signed in the woman's name. The tenant successfully passed the verification on the Rendin platform, and in the first period, the tenancy was almost exemplary.

Unfortunately, the relationship did not stand the test of time. The couple decided that the man would stay in the rental aparment, taking over the contract. However, what does a young guy often do after a relationship ends? He throws himself into partying. This was no different in this case.

The place had turned into a centre of constant partying, with loud music and other noises, which of course, greatly disturbed the neighbours. As soon as Teresa found out about the situation, she decided to investigate the matter herself.

She made an appointment with the tenant to visit the aparment, but found no signs of damage. Nevertheless, due to numerous complaints from neighbours, she came to the conclusion that the rental agreement had to be terminated. Unfortunately, this was not the end of Teresa's problems, and we will return to them in a moment.

Rental agreement termination – what does it look like?

If you want, like Teresa, to terminate your rental agreement with your tenant, you need to know how you can do so according to the law.

Renting out a property is a way of earning money in which you have to consider life's unpredictability. In any orderly situation, an unexpected twist can occur, as in this case, where a couple of tenants have split up.

These situations can also affect the landlord, so you should always know how to terminate the agreement. In Poland, the options for ending a residential rental agreement are as follows:

1. With a notice period of 3 months in the case of termless agreement, when rent is paid monthly.

2. By mutual agreement on the date agreed by the parties in the agreement, regardless of whether it is a rental agreement for a fixed term or an indefinite term.

3. By unilateral declaration of the landlord or the tenant if certain conditions are met:

For the Landlord when:

• the tenant, despite a written warning, uses the premises in a manner contrary to the agreement or contrary to the intended use, damages the facilities intended for the common use of the residents;

• the tenant is in arrears with the rent or other charges for at least 3 months and does not pay despite being given an additional period of one month to do so;

• the tenant makes the premises available to another person without the written consent of the landlord;

• the tenant uses the premises which requires renovation or demolition.

For the tenant when:

• the premises have defects which make it impossible to use the premises in the manner provided for in the tenancy agreement or defects in the rented dwelling which endanger the health of the tenant or other household members.

Destruction in a rental home

As the rent was paid in advance, Teresa did not terminate the contract immediately, allowing the tenant to remain in the property. In retrospect, however, she admits that this was a big mistake.

When the tenant moved out, the landlord found a shocking scene. The beautiful and tastefully decorated flat had been completely vandalised. The list of damages included, among others:

• a broken bed,

• piles of unwashed dishes with mouldy food,

• a broken television set,

• cigarette marks on the kitchen worktops,

• damage and dirt on walls and ceilings,

• traces of gunshots in the flat.

When moving out, the tenant also left behind an unpleasant souvenir in the form of a used condom.

Damage valuation and Rendin protection in action

Fortunately, Teresa secured her rental agreement by signing it on the Rendin platform. After discovering the extent of the damage, she contacted customer service and submitted all the necessary documents.

Rendin's legal department analysed the situation and agreed that the landlord's loss amounted to as much as 22 000 zł. As the tenant refused to take responsibility for repairing the damage, Rendin intervened and promptly compensated the landlord.

Read the guide in the Rendin Help Centre: what steps to take in the event of property damage.

Rendin helps quickly and effectively

Teresa greatly appreciated the human approach of the Rendin staff and the simple application process. The transfer of the tenant's debt to the landlord from Rendin was also quick and easy. The whole thing, including the renovation, was completed within two weeks.

The landlord recommends using Rendin's protection without hesitation. Before she started using it, she had a situation where another tenant did not pay rent and did not want to leave the property, and the debt kept growing. Teresa gave up renting for a while after this unpleasant adventure.

Now, with Rendin's protection, her rental apartments and it's profits are safer. She is also not worried about having to make another recovery from a terrible experience with a dishonest tenant.

How to deal with a problematic tenant?

Some of the main risks associated with renting a property are:

1. non-payment of rent and utility bills by the tenant,

2. abandoning the property and leaving debts behind.

If you find yourself in this situation, here is what you can do according to Polish regulations:

Put the tenant on the list of debtors

If they are on such a list, they will find it difficult to take out loans or sign a mobile phone contract. Other contractors will also be able to find out about the debt. Often, the mere threat of being put on the debtors' list is enough to get your money back.

Take the landlord to court

If the problem with the tenant is "only" a debt, the court can order the debtor to pay up relatively quickly and, failing that, you, with a court order, can also seek help from a bailiff.

Much worse is the situation in which a problem tenant is nomadic in your property. Eviction proceedings usually take 1-2 years, but a complicated case can extend this time considerably. Unfortunately, even a judgment and its enforcement clause may not solve the problem with a toxic tenant.

If it becomes necessary to use a bailiff, the bailiff will have to wait for the municipality to appoint a substitute tenant, which prolongs the wait to regain housing. In extreme cases, it can take up to 14 years to kick a tick tenant out of their home.

Summary

Life writes all sorts of scenarios, and you never know when a sudden twist in your rental relationship will cost you nerves and money. Don't wait until you become the victim of a dishonest or untrustworthy tenant, and like Teresa, protect yourself by signing a Rendin rental agreement.

This will give you protection of up to 10 times your rent from day one and professional legal assistance whenever you need it.

The table clearly shows that a simple deposit gives the landlord negligible protection. Meanwhile, Rendin's loss compensation guarantee is the certainty that in the event of debts and damage to the flat – the landlord will get the money back.