Are property management companies required to provide statements of work done?
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Are property management companies required to provide statements of work done?
I own a rental unit that I have under contract with a property management company. Under the contract, they are authorized to make legitimate repairs to the property. On April 1st, they did a repair work for storm damage. I have asked for a statement or invoice from them, showing what was damaged, what was repaired, and what the cost to me
was in other words, a receipt and.documentation of the work. They refuse to provide this information, stating that they are not required too. Furthermore, they have also informed me that this repair was not billed to me in full but refuse to tell me the remaining balance. The money is automatically deducted from the rent they.collect, so I don’t have the option of not.paying until documentation is obtained. I obviously feel uncomfortable paying for repairs without knowing what I’m paying for. Furthermore, I feel that inability to provide
simple information about repairs indicates possible unethical conduct. In this situation, do I have any legal grounds to
require some sort of documentation?
Asked on April 16, 2016 under Real Estate Law, Tennessee
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 8 years ago | Contributor
There is no general legal obligation to provide receipts. That said, you only have to pay for the actual cost of necessary repairs. Your only recourse procedurally in the situation you describe--since they can and presumably have deducted the money from rent (i.e. the money is in their pocket)--would be to sue them for the return of the money. In the course of that lawsuit, you can get access to the documentation (such as by using the legal mechanisms of "discovery," such as document requests or written questions ["interrogatories"]) to see the paperwork. If they can't justify the costs, you can recover the unjustified amounts.
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