I don't know if this post is a rant or what, however, can anyone here tell me WHY Class C tenants are so rough on doors? At every turnover, I am having to make repairs to either interior doors or exterior entry doors or both. Many times the jambs (where the deadbolt latch is) are split from top to bottom. What is going on here? Why is this type damage occurring?

Just yesterday, I get a call from a new tenant telling me they have broken a small window located in the top 1/3 section of the front entry door. They even said they would pay for repairs (I rarely get these type of calls and an offer to pay for damages). When I saw the broken window, it was obvious how it happened even though they would not admit to slamming the door. 'It just broke'.

Do I need to start giving my new tenants instructions on the proper way to open and close doors?

Don't wrestle with pigs , all you'll get is dirty and the pig has fun.

When I was living in the building (We all was owners for the apartments), one time I got a letter telling residents “Don’t unnecessary slump the doors “

Thanks for the confirmation Ken (NY).

But dented metal doors look horrible.

From what we have seen, we believe it's the younger guys either beating on their girlfriends (who then lock themselves in the bedroom and it gets kicked in, splintering the frame) or trying NOT to beat on their girlfriends and punching a hole in the hollow-core door instead.

Roy, David and Ken nailed it. In GENERAL, many (not all) Class C tenants do not think of the future, and this causes them to be hard on current assets. All they think of is the next gadget or gizmo. Ergo, they never consider things like, "If I wreck this door, the land lord will charge me." They're used to not paying bills timely or at all; it's why most time their credit stinks. So why worry about a damaged (insert rental item here).

I've seen Class C tenants buy/lease almost brand new cars and run the guts out of them. Within 12 months, scratches, dings, and on the rare occasion I see them arriving home or leaving, squealing the tires. I can only imagine their daily road driving habits. Light turns green, they slam on the accelerator only to slam on the brakes at the red light 2 blocks down...because they're running late to work, to day care, to whatever. They're late with more than just rent, in other words. It's a lifestyle of barely keeping up and staying one step away from being fired, losing their spot, etc.

Again, I think many of my Class C tenants are cream of the crop. While they don't have good credit most times, it's usually due to a one-time stupid (college debt) or a major medial bill. Otherwise, they're reasonably stable. I screen pretty hard and haven't had a kicked in door in 5+ years. Did have one guy punch 2 holes in a door in a drunken party once. Found it on a quarterly inspection, fixed it, billed him...he paid. Like Barney Fife says, "Nip it in the bud!"

Steel door frames? I considered it, but at $400 a pop to purchase and install, I can fix that jamb 3 times PLUS bill the tenant, who in my case usually pays. Maybe yours don't so that may be apples to oranges. But why spend $400 out of pocket? I've only had 2 busted jambs in 13 years of LLing, and it would cost me literally thousands if not tens of thousands to retrofit all my units with steel doors/frames. Not worth it due to the low number of problems I've had.

I also considered installing OSB under dry wall with gut rehabs, but again the cost is prohibitive. As satisfying as it would be to know a tenant or his drunk buddy broke his fist when punching my wall...I'd still have to smooth over the punched area, and the cost to sheath the inside of a house would be $1000s extra. A hole patch is usually $20 or so.

WMH said, "But dented metal doors look horrible".

Since becoming a LL in 2006, I have become an EXPERT in installing and repairing doors and windows. Dented metal doors or any door riddled with bullet-holes, I

can repair it and make it look like new! Prior to becoming a LL, I never dreamed of acquiring such skills with doors and windows.

For exterior doors, Use only a deadbolt for security, and a closet handle for opening and closing the door. Get rid of all the exterior door handles that have that little knob that one twists to lock the door in the way out. With deadbolt only, the tenant MUST use key to lock door.

What happens is, everybody left the house, nobody grabbed the house key, but somebody locked the door. Why tenants don't put the house key on the same keychain with car keys is a mystery to me.

Another thing that happens is Mom goes outside to take out the trash, inquisitive child turns that little lock. Now Mom is locked outside, child gets upset, cannot yet follow Mom's directions, and is in the house crying. One tenant admitted this to me.

For bedrooms and bathrooms, look for knobs that have a slot on the hallway side, where Mom can use a fingernail or a coin to turn the lock when a child locks themselves in, and cannot figure out how to turn that little knob to get back out. Show adults how to unlock during in-processing.

Many bath/bedroom knobs have a small hole where a toothpick or artist's paintbrush can be inserted to unlock the door from the hallway. Tenants don't have those (toothpicks, artist brushes)

I had made the mistake of using doorknobs that came with a small little tool that fit in a slot. Umm... If I have to get a special tool, that would be called a key!

The only bed/bathroom doorknobs I use any more are Tru-bolt, as they are the only ones I have found with the slot on the hallway side. Very easy to unlock the crying child.

Glazing- use boiled linseed oil on the wood before applying the glazing. I've read that some primer the wood instead, but that didn't work for me. But the smallest can of boiled linseed oil you can; it doesn't take much.

Stir the glazing compound well before use. Then take a wad of compound, wrap it in plastic, stick it in your pocket while you apply the glazing points with your Five in one tool. It's a little left to right or right to left motion to get the glazing points in. I use the ones with a little tab for my 5/1 tool to push on.

Once the glazing points are in, take a dab of warmed up glazing out of your pocket, roll it into a rope. When you press it in, pull slightly to make that glazing get good contact. When you've got the glazing on one whole side, it will be bumpy with you finger dabs. That's fine. Stick that corner of your 5/1 in, and pull it along to cut the nice smooth bevel. It takes a bit of pressure.

Once all the sides are glazed, let the glaze cure for a few weeks before painting. Painted glaze lasts much, much longer.

Broken doors, fist holes in walls. no money management skills are all symptoms of an impulse control disorder from frontal lobe brain damage. This may result from prenatal exposure to toxins (alcohol, other drugs) or lead.

I am an artist when it comes to repairing holes in drywall; my husband is very handy replacing doors and jams. We have a local shop where if you bring in the damaged door, they will cut a new door to exactly match the old one. I am still working on my dented metal door bondo skills.

Cracked jams are easily repaired with an awesome product called Rocky's Rock Hard Water Putty. This stuff dries to a tough filler that can be sanded and painted.

We need a LL Olympics where we compete based on our skills:

1. Spot the Red Flags in an application

2. Fist hole repair in drywall

3. Trash Out Race

4. Breath holding in smoked-out units

Roy - Your post makes me feel better. I too have gotten proficient at repairing blasted door jambs and replacing doors. My places are all in the hood, guess that makes them Class C at best.

As a "C" class tenant exited a tenancy they also left many broken interior doors. So I purchased new "Solid Core" interior doors and installed them professionally. As a contractor I had hinge templates for my router and used the proper screws. Made a perfect fit for each door. No rubbing of contact surfaces or binding.

Within a few months the tenants were able to have a door come off it's hinges and because of the weight it fell and broke their Large Screen TV. Then they refused to pay their rent until I replaced their TV.

I ended up in eviction court. I showed pictures to the Court as to why the door came off it's hinges. The tenants, on Government Assistance never cooked a home cooked meal but instead lived off of take-out fast food. They couldn't afford to purchase hangers so all of their close were stored on the floor.

The solid door wouldn't cooperate and close with clothing stuck between the door and frame when they tried to slam it shut. After 100 attempts on closing the door it pulled away from it's hinges and fell.

Also their smashed TV was already not working. The got it on a Rent To Own contract and stop paying on it because the TV wouldn't work it a smashed screen -- this was months before the door fell on it.

Ally. I laughed out loud at that! As a 'reddish-headed person with red head syndrome (no pain meds for me, please!) and enough of the symptom's of Cushings, that I've been tested, I hear ya! People KNOW to get outta my way!

'Broken doors, fist holes in walls. no money management skills are all symptoms of an impulse control disorder from frontal lobe brain damage'

Behavior Issues.

Roy, Rathdrumgal is correct. Impulse control comes from frontal lobe damage. Sometimes chemical, as in lead poisoning, sometimes physical, such as tire iron to the head. AND, some people just naturally have less impulse control. Those people paint water towers *grin*

My biggest tear up on the Class C's is window screens. I cannot for the life of me figure out what the you know what is going on for them to get torn up so often. In all my years of living, I think I've replaced enough window screens in my own house to count on one finger (childhood AND adulthood). The rentals though? TOTALLY different story. The city comes around every once in a while and cites me for torn screens. I tell them every time that I will fix it, but I want them out the same day for inspection and sign off because they won't last 24 hours.

Thanks Busy (WI) for all those door knob tips. The tip about using only one deadbolt and a passage knob is something I learned at my first Mr. LL convention in 2011. I have since removed all of the lockable door knobs and now only use one deadbolt and a cheap Hall/Closet knob on entry doors.

Today I was at Lowes and picked up a tube of water based Window Glazing which I have used before. I will have to wait until the outside temps are above 50 before I can use this stuff.

The only class C tenants that I ever had did precisely what everyone else is describing - they were very rough on the place. And, of course were angry when I dinged their SD so much that there was zero left (despite the fact that I "forgave" about $200 because the local small claims costs so much).

Glazing compound has to go under the glass as well. Rabbets are primed or oiled first.

Compound

then glass

then points

then knifed compound at angle on top