1) Can we charge our former tenants travel costs at $.55 per mile for our travel to the rental property to fix the damages caused by them? During every trip we had a contractor ride with us and he performed the majority of the repairs while we supervised the work. We also performed some of the repairs ourselves.

2) Our former tenants claim we can only charge them fair market value for repairs. We have charged them for the actual repair and replacement costs incurred by us. For example, the former tenants destroyed a gas grill. They contend they should only pay fair market value. We state they owe us the actual cost to repair the grill which is our labor plus actual cost of replacement parts. Who is right?

You will have to check your state laws, including what the custom is in your local court for this one.

1) You want to charge mileage for travel, not to fix damage but to "supervise" contractor. So you want to charge for both the contractor plus your personal expenses. That's a hard one to justify. If your lease specifies (or implies) that LL is responsible for fixing, then only the cost of fixing is easy to justify, personal expense is on the LL. Check your local law and practice.

2) Fair market value for repairs. Usually, courts use depreciated value rather than FMV. Theory is that LL should not profit by getting a new grill (for example) just because tenants didn't treat the grill well.

I think the travel costs and just the cost of doing business. You record the mileage, date and reason and then deduct that expense on your taxes.

If you had to travel 200 miles each time verses living 1 mile away - this would be hard to justify.

Only the judge can decide.

Let them take it to court.

Countersue for everything.

When a builder quotes a project, he takes the cost and adds 10-20% for his time, but do not list it seprately.

Having been to Small Claims to defend security deposit deductions, I would not attempt to collect for travel time or personal labor.

You cannot charge for your own labor in Connecticut. If you made the repairs, you charge for parts/materials only.

How many miles are you talking about? In my courts, travel time/costs by the landlord to the site would not be allowed, and an attempt to bill at 55 cents per hour by the landlord probably would cause almost everything to be tossed out.