Typically these claims are completely unrecoverable. The tenants don’t have the money, and the cost of pursuing further is too high. The only way to ensure payment is to get it upfront.
That's what damage deposits are for, no?
Damage deposits are capped.
It is not hard for an irresponsible renter to do way more damage than a deposit can cover.
Maybe we'll see an exodus of landlords as this becomes a less economically viable lifestyle.
Which is exactly what another post was saying: that large corporations will step in instead.
Yes, we'll see an exodus of small landlords and see much higher monthly rents passed on to all tenants just to subsidize the ones that cause damage. This isn't better for most tenants.