Owning rental property in Rockford can be a great investment — until a tenant leaves the place trashed. Whether it’s holes in the walls, broken windows, ruined flooring, or a mountain of trash left behind, tenant-caused damage can eat into your profits fast.
So what are your options as a landlord?
1. Document Everything
Before you touch anything, take photos and videos of the damage. This will protect you if you need to:
- File an insurance claim
- Deduct the cost from a security deposit
- Pursue legal action in small claims court
2. Review the Lease and Security Deposit Terms
Go back to the lease agreement and look at:
- What the tenant was responsible for maintaining
- The condition the home was in at move-in (compare to your photos)
- How much of the damage is covered by the deposit
You might not recover everything, but you can at least cover part of it.
3. Decide if It’s Worth Fixing — Or Time to Walk Away
Some landlords fix the damage and try again with new tenants. But for many, this is the moment they realize:
“I’m done.”
If you’re tired of dealing with repairs, bad tenants, or rental stress, you don’t have to keep going.
4. Sell the Property As-Is — With the Damage and Tenants Included
At Modern Times Homes, we buy rental properties in any condition — even if they’ve been trashed by tenants. We’ve seen:
- Hoarder houses
- Squatter damage
- Pets destroying walls and floors
- Major cleanup situations
And we still buy them.
You don’t need to clean, fix, or evict. We’ll take care of everything after closing.
Thinking About Selling Your Damaged Rental in Rockford?
Call us at 815-974-0359 or click below to get a no-pressure cash offer.
We’re local, we’re experienced, and we understand how frustrating this can be