Group,

In prep for my normal quarterly maintenance check, I emailed to schedule and asked if there was anything tenant wanted me to specifically look at.

She said, “oh the shower head cracked and sprayed water upward and hit the ceiling.”

There are now two spots, about the size of a dinner plate, where the ceiling is stained and the popcorn ceiling is falling off. Tenant claims to have tried to fix it with tape once, that failed, and they have now covered it with a plastic bag.

The shower head was a cheap one a previous tenant installed and left behind. I don’t doubt that the tenant was probably rough on it in some way, but am going to consider it normal wear and tear. My lease states that tenants are to notify me immediately of any damage/issues and if additional damage is caused by not promptly notifying, it is their responsibly. My question is, would you consider the ceiling damage the tenant’s financial responsibility? Also, how would you handle the repair? After lease end? Would you try to patch (wont match) or scrap it all?

Why in the first place would you have popcorn splatter in the bath room.

Is it also carpeted.

On your next turn over I would r/r the ceiling

Drywall is cheap and intimagating at first glance

You can cover alot sins but if if isnt ventilated.

I had one place that was built before indoor plumbing was invented. must have been a foyer . back porch .

But still above the cellar.

They added on to this house with rock foundation

smart men .dug below the frost line and thats it .

Clear out the bath. Then spray the popcorn with a quart bottle sprayer filled with water until it's wet. Then scrape it all off with a 6 or 10 inch drywall trowel. After it's gone and the ceiling is dry, sand the ceiling to get any tiny spots left. You'll likely need to touch up the ceiling with drywall mud to blend it all together. When that mud is dry, give a light sanding then paint with primer/sealer, then with finish paint (semi gloss, not basic flat. It might take 2 coats of finish paint.

No need to replace the drywall unless it is wasted.

If you want an exhaust fan in the ceiling put it in at the time you fix everything (for convenience).

There is a possibility that the popcorn could have some asbestos in it. That's why you wet it down first -- you don't want the dust everywhere. Wear an N-95 mask when you scrape it and clean up after the popcorn is down with a wet towel/rag completely.

Clear out the bath. Then spray the popcorn with a quart bottle sprayer filled with water until it's wet. Then scrape it all off with a 6 or 10 inch drywall trowel. After it's gone and the ceiling is dry, sand the ceiling to get any tiny spots left. You'll likely need to touch up the ceiling with drywall mud to blend it all together. When that mud is dry, give a light sanding then paint with primer/sealer, then with finish paint (semi gloss, not basic flat. It might take 2 coats of finish paint.

No need to replace the drywall unless it is wasted.

If you want an exhaust fan in the ceiling put it in at the time you fix everything (for convenience).

There is a possibility that the popcorn could have some asbestos in it. That's why you wet it down first -- you don't want the dust everywhere. Wear an N-95 mask when you scrape it and clean up after the popcorn is down with a wet towel/rag completely.

Clear out the bath. Then spray the popcorn with a quart bottle sprayer filled with water until it's wet. Then scrape it all off with a 6 or 10 inch drywall trowel. After it's gone and the ceiling is dry, sand the ceiling to get any tiny spots left. You'll likely need to touch up the ceiling with drywall mud to blend it all together. When that mud is dry, give a light sanding then paint with primer/sealer, then with finish paint (semi gloss, not basic flat. It might take 2 coats of finish paint.

No need to replace the drywall unless it is wasted.

If you want an exhaust fan in the ceiling put it in at the time you fix everything (for convenience).

There is a possibility that the popcorn could have some asbestos in it. That's why you wet it down first -- you don't want the dust everywhere. Wear an N-95 mask when you scrape it and clean up after the popcorn is down with a wet towel/rag completely.

> They tried to fix a plumbing leak with tape instead of notifying you (Why?!)

> Then they covered the damage with plastic, instead of notifying you (Why?!)

That doesn't sounds anything like what the lease says they should do.

MAYBE the thing cracking could be called wear and tear, but the failure to tell you certainly is not. Their inaction clearly caused more damage.

Fix it now, and make them pay - so they learn to notify you of problems.

All,

Thanks for the thoughts this far. More context for you.

I would consider this a A- rental. It isnt entirely pristine, but it pretty close and I get above average rents. Built in 2005, 3/2, 1250sqft ranch sfh. Updated (porcelain wood look tile throughout entire house). The only thing I have not done yet is remove the popcorn. I have removed it half a dozen times before in all of my other rentals, so very familiar with the process of removing it. It is in good shape in rest of house (and was in shape in this room).

About the tenant: 3 college girls that have been there for about 9 months. No problems thus far and have paid on time every month. Not sure if they plan to renew yet, but would be happy to do so if they want to.

Back to question at hand: Before re-renting this house (when that time cones), I will definitely remove all of this popcorn from the bathroom (if I dont do it before then). I generally try to avoid any type of multi day renovation with a tenant in the property, unless absolutely required. The drywall under the stains appears to be sound and the bathroom already has an exhaust fan (no window). So would you 1) just spray can patch it while tenant is still there and fix it properly later 2) remove the bathroom poocorn now, while tenant is still there 3) do nothing to ceiling until vacancy?

Thanks all!

Mike,

It can be done in one day. Wet and scrape and put a fan on it while you clean up the mess. Dry any wet spots with a heat gun then sand and use 15 minute set mud. Go to lunch with a fan on it. Sand, prime, fan while cleaning up, paint, head home, fix a margarita.

In light of what you say about the year built and the tenants, I would use the spray can until the place is vacant. Also, if house was built in 2005, there won't be asbestos in the popcorn as this was banned in 1976 and final stocks with asbestos were used up by 1978. So no worry there. It's the older places that had it.

Nah! Just use the Kilz stain blocker that is water base.

No asbestos in a 2006 popcorn ceiling. I'd do as Richard suggests, and I'd do it with the current tenants in place. And I'd pay for it myself.

Why?

They already know they caused this. They will be happy to have you make the repair...as long as they don't have to pay.

I'd pay for it. You already knew it was a cheap showerhead and left it there, and a smooth ceiling is in, popcorn is out. Time to upgrade.

If you do it now, zero downtime. I love to do repairs with a willing tenant paying the rent while I do them.