Christian OsgoodCEO, Multifamily Strategy · CEO at Multifamily Strategy

How to Recover From a Tenant Who Destroys Your Rental Property - Legal Steps #LandlordTips

21 Oct 2026 · 1 min

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0:46

In this segment of the YouTube video, a landlord (Speaker A) describes the extensive damage left by an evicted tenant, including ripped cabinets, removed sink, and a demolished kitchen. Christian Osgood shares a parallel experience from managing a 144‑unit apartment complex where a tenant caused similar destruction. Osgood explains that the tenant was arrested, jailed, and placed in collections, noting that while immediate payment is unlikely, the criminal record and future income can be pursued. He emphasizes that legal systems exist to protect landlords from such vandalism and advises landlords to be aware of these remedies.

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I just evicted my tenants and this is how they left my property. They ripped off my cabinets, they took out the sink, they demoed everything, put everything in the living room, and look, I finally found where my kitchen sink's at.
I just had this exact thing happen in our 144-unit apartment. We evicted a tenant, they came in and they destroyed everything, ripped the cabinet off the walls, destroyed the plumbing, and guess what happened? They got arrested, they went to jail, and we put them in collections for the entire thing. Now, will they actually pay it? Probably not, 'cause we evicted them for not having any money. That being said, it is on their record, it is on their criminal record, and if they ever start making money again, in their life will start collecting on that money. You can't just trash someone else's unit. There are systems in place for exactly this. If you're worried about this happening to you as a landlord.