What exactly is malicious damage?
At Total Landlord, we’re noticing that landlords often confuse general accidental damage, wear and tear and poor standards of cleanliness with malicious damage
At Total Landlord, we’re noticing that landlords often confuse general accidental damage, wear and tear and poor standards of cleanliness with malicious damage.
So, what exactly is malicious damage, and how is it different from other types of damage?
Malicious damage is a deliberate action or act of vandalism that results in damage, regardless of whether the end result was intended.
For example, if damage is inflicted by someone in a moment of rage, that would count as malicious damage.
Accidental damage, in contrast to malicious damage, is not caused by a deliberate action but purely by accident.
Objects are dropped, sinks overflow and windows get smashed - the list of potential accidents that can happen in a home is endless.
Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between accidental and malicious damage: did that burnt hole in the carpet result from a carelessly discarded cigarette, or was it stubbed out deliberately?
Was the glass tabletop broken when someone dropped a saucepan on it, or was the saucepan smashed into it?
Was the door flung off its hinges in a temper, or did a sudden gust of wind fling it too far back?
