Title: Are renters liable for crime-related property damage? - Inman
Headings: Are renters liable for crime-related property damage?
Are renters liable for crime-related property damage?
Content: It sounds like your landlord is blaming you for the burglary. When a crime occurs at a rental property, the tenant is responsible for insuring his or her possessions, while the landlord is responsible for the premises and any damage incurred. The only exception would be in the highly unlikely event that the landlord could prove that you were somehow responsible for the damage. Inman Connect
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Because no one would take steps to be a victim of a burglary, it would seem that the only basis for the landlord to hold you responsible for the damage to the rental house is if he believes you weren’t really burglarized but did the damage yourself and made up the burglary in an attempt to avoid being responsible. That would be extremely unlikely and unbelievable that anyone would do that, so I would suggest you immediately send your landlord a demand letter seeking the return of any amounts deducted from your security deposit for the damage done by the perpetrators of the burglary. You should also include a copy of the police report and photos showing the damage to the exterior door. If the landlord doesn’t change his position, your next step could be to go to small claims court.