Ordinary Wear and Tear ≠ Grounds for Eviction
What Happened: After doing an inspection, the landlord tried to evict the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for violating its lease obligation to keep the premises in good repair, citing among other things:
- Moss, birds, and bird droppings on the roof;
- Safety netting installed under the ceilings;
- Erosion of epoxy coating on the floors allowing water to leak in; and
- Concrete deterioration of the ramp.
USPS denied violating the lease and insisted the damage was just ordinary wear and tear.