Security Deposit Charges

Security Deposit Charges

Cleveland Heights, OH · Member since 2017 · 18 posts · 2 votes

I just had tenants move out a week ago and have incurred some significant expenses getting it cleaned and ready for new occupants.  This is a class A rental that was spotless when the tenants moved in 1.5 years ago.  These tenants had a large dog that was the source of most of the damage. We did our best to clean the affected areas and avoid replacement, but we ended up having to go the replacement rout after spending considerable $$ trying to clean.  

I spent $550 with Stanley Steamer to deep clean and deodorize the carpets and deep clean all of the tile surfaces (mostly the kitchen and back hall area that smelled horribly of dog urine).  The house is mostly hard wood floors with carpet only on the 3rd floor and staircases.  The 3rd floor carpet came out great and looks new again, but the carpet on the stairs from 1st to 2nd floor still smelled like a dirty dog dog bed after cleaning (it was clear they never used a vacuum).  We are now having to replace the carpet on the stairs (I don't have a quote for the carpet replacement yet).  What is reasonable to charge? Carpet was about 2 years old when they moved in. I am thinking I will charge them the full $550 for cleaning and take the hit for replacing the carpet. 

We also discovered the garbage disposal was broken and had been leaking (tenants had a bucket under the sink).  I am now going to be replacing the garbage disposal (which was also only 2 years old).  Is it reasonable to charge the tenants for the replacement since they clearly knew there was an issue and didn't report it?

I also spent $360 having the place professionally deep cleaned, $260 to have furniture they left hauled away and I am having to replace all of the deck boards on the back porch that their dog urinated all over (still waiting on a quote for this).  It is not looking like there will be much left over from their $1,750 deposit.   

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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
4y
Quote from @Cara Fazio:

I just had tenants move out a week ago and have incurred some significant expenses getting it cleaned and ready for new occupants.  This is a class A rental that was spotless when the tenants moved in 1.5 years ago.  These tenants had a large dog that was the source of most of the damage. We did our best to clean the affected areas and avoid replacement, but we ended up having to go the replacement rout after spending considerable $$ trying to clean.  

I spent $550 with Stanley Steamer to deep clean and deodorize the carpets and deep clean all of the tile surfaces (mostly the kitchen and back hall area that smelled horribly of dog urine).  The house is mostly hard wood floors with carpet only on the 3rd floor and staircases.  The 3rd floor carpet came out great and looks new again, but the carpet on the stairs from 1st to 2nd floor still smelled like a dirty dog dog bed after cleaning (it was clear they never used a vacuum).  We are now having to replace the carpet on the stairs (I don't have a quote for the carpet replacement yet).  What is reasonable to charge? Carpet was about 2 years old when they moved in. I am thinking I will charge them the full $550 for cleaning and take the hit for replacing the carpet. 

We also discovered the garbage disposal was broken and had been leaking (tenants had a bucket under the sink).  I am now going to be replacing the garbage disposal (which was also only 2 years old).  Is it reasonable to charge the tenants for the replacement since they clearly knew there was an issue and didn't report it?

I also spent $360 having the place professionally deep cleaned, $260 to have furniture they left hauled away and I am having to replace all of the deck boards on the back porch that their dog urinated all over (still waiting on a quote for this).  It is not looking like there will be much left over from their $1,750 deposit.   

You can charge them for the cost of cleaning and replacement, since the cleaning didn't work. Carpet should last ten years and it's only two years old, so I would charge them 80% of replacement cost, plus the cleaning costs, plus the garbage disposal. They also owe for the removal of furniture, deep cleaning, deck boards, etc.

Bottom line, you're going to spend a lot more than $1,750 to do this. I would charge them for everything, keep the entire deposit, and send them a letter showing how much they still owe. They probably won't pay you another dime, so you can just write it off and move on.

Question: what were your qualifications? It's unusual for a Class A tenant to do such damage and leave things behind. You may want to consider increasing your standards (higher rent:income ratio, higher credit score, larger deposit, etc.)


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  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    4y
    Quote from @Cara Fazio:

    I just had tenants move out a week ago and have incurred some significant expenses getting it cleaned and ready for new occupants.  This is a class A rental that was spotless when the tenants moved in 1.5 years ago.  These tenants had a large dog that was the source of most of the damage. We did our best to clean the affected areas and avoid replacement, but we ended up having to go the replacement rout after spending considerable $$ trying to clean.  

    I spent $550 with Stanley Steamer to deep clean and deodorize the carpets and deep clean all of the tile surfaces (mostly the kitchen and back hall area that smelled horribly of dog urine).  The house is mostly hard wood floors with carpet only on the 3rd floor and staircases.  The 3rd floor carpet came out great and looks new again, but the carpet on the stairs from 1st to 2nd floor still smelled like a dirty dog dog bed after cleaning (it was clear they never used a vacuum).  We are now having to replace the carpet on the stairs (I don't have a quote for the carpet replacement yet).  What is reasonable to charge? Carpet was about 2 years old when they moved in. I am thinking I will charge them the full $550 for cleaning and take the hit for replacing the carpet. 

    We also discovered the garbage disposal was broken and had been leaking (tenants had a bucket under the sink).  I am now going to be replacing the garbage disposal (which was also only 2 years old).  Is it reasonable to charge the tenants for the replacement since they clearly knew there was an issue and didn't report it?

    I also spent $360 having the place professionally deep cleaned, $260 to have furniture they left hauled away and I am having to replace all of the deck boards on the back porch that their dog urinated all over (still waiting on a quote for this).  It is not looking like there will be much left over from their $1,750 deposit.   

    You can charge them for the cost of cleaning and replacement, since the cleaning didn't work. Carpet should last ten years and it's only two years old, so I would charge them 80% of replacement cost, plus the cleaning costs, plus the garbage disposal. They also owe for the removal of furniture, deep cleaning, deck boards, etc.

    Bottom line, you're going to spend a lot more than $1,750 to do this. I would charge them for everything, keep the entire deposit, and send them a letter showing how much they still owe. They probably won't pay you another dime, so you can just write it off and move on.

    Question: what were your qualifications? It's unusual for a Class A tenant to do such damage and leave things behind. You may want to consider increasing your standards (higher rent:income ratio, higher credit score, larger deposit, etc.)


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  • Cleveland Heights, OH · Member since 2017 · 18 posts · 2 votes
    4y

    Thanks for your input! 

    Tenant is a general surgeon who was completing a fellowship at one of the best hospitals in the country and had great credit.  I was not expecting to have this kind of damage and am definitely going to be rethinking my pet policy going forward.  Good news is the place is already rented for May 1st and new tenants have no pets! 

  • Rental Property Investor · Member since 2021 · 385 posts · 197 votes
    4y

    @Cara Fazio I would definitely charge them for everything, since they've done so much damage to your unit. It's truly shocking to see a Class A renter to do so much destruction to a unit.

  • Investor · Las Vegas, NV · Member since 2013 · 8k+ posts · 10k+ votes
    4y

    I think you would lose the garbage disposal so you want a cleaner case-closed situation I’d leave that off. If they had told you it wouldn’t have been at their expense so why is it suddenly? Maybe it broke after they already gave notice, or the last day and they figured you’d see it. What if you found a leaking faucet, would that suddenly become something you could bill them for? Make it obvious you are only going after legitimate expenses. You’re already charging cleaning fees for something you’re throwing away, that might get tossed too. If you’re willing to go to court for the amount over the security deposit you’ll look better, if you’re not, then it doesn’t matter how much over you say they are. 

    Ps. I couldn’t agree more about the quality of the screening being lacking. You’re facing more damage than I ever have and most of my tenants stay 4-10 years. Discuss this with your PM and tell them of your concerns. This is not a pet problem, 100% of my tenants have pets, it’s a people problem. 

  • Ned J.Pro Member
    Investor · Manteca, CA · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4y

    How much was the rent? Did you do a pet deposit also?

    I would eat the garbage disposal..... unless you can prove they did something to break it.

    Deck boards..... it would be unusual to have to fully replace all the deck boards due to dog urine. Power wash, possible sand and re-stain but not fully replace solely due to dog urine. I understand its an "A" unit, but the deck dosent have to be pristine, just decent and safe. 

  • Real Estate Agent · Santa Barbara, Ventura · Member since 2021 · 11 posts · 6 votes
    4y

    What a bummer! There is already so much good advice, adding to that: we make sure to take detailed videos and pictures on the move in day to have as much documentation as possible when problems arise. As a dog owner my self I have experienced how hard it can be to find a place with a dog. We take dogs but charge a pretty high (refundable) pet deposit. That keeps up the motivation to keep wear and tare to a minimum (there is no carpet however, all laminate flooring). And we communicate that we will charge for any damages by the pet. There was one time when we had an issue with a dog of a tenant digging through the backyard and ripping up gopher wire and wheat barrier. We let the tenant decide to fix it herself or to have us hire landscapers and charge her for it. Don't let a few bad owners ruin it for everyone else!

  • Cleveland Heights, OH · Member since 2017 · 18 posts · 2 votes
    4y

    @Ned J. Rent was $1,750. I just had the one month rent as security deposit and not a separate pet deposit. Unfortunately, we tried power washing and it did not help with the smell. It is a small area though, so not too complicated to replace the boards.

  • Joe SplitrockPro Member
    Moderator
    Rental Property Investor · Sioux Falls, SD · Member since 2015 · 9k+ posts · 18k+ votes
    4y

    @Cara Fazio most everything you described should be charged to the tenant. Make an itemized list and make sure you have receipts and photos. Ideally you should have before and after photos. Take photos of the back side of the carpet, the pad and the floor. This will show the urine stains. They only lived there 1.5 years, so I would give little consideration due to short age of tenancy.

    The only thing I am not sure you can charge them for is the garbage disposal. My guess is the garbage disposal was a really cheap model which is why it started leaking after two years. Check the warranty on it. Unless you have proof that they broke it (which is hard to do) then you can't charge them for replacement. Buy a higher quality disposal with 5+ year warranty and stainless steel parts so it doesn't rust out. 

    Don't worry about how much is or is not left of the deposit. Just total up all the damages and subtract it from the deposit. Whatever is left they get back or they get a bill. 

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Colorado Springs, CO · Member since 2016 · 502 posts · 167 votes
    4y

    And this is why i have a BAN on animals! If 10 people apply for my rental, 9 of them have a dog, or 2 or 3, or 3 cats, and didn't see or understand the NO ANIMALS rule on my ads. Everything from a 7-lb mini something to a great dane (can you imagine). At this point I’d rather have it vacant than being destroyed by animals. When a man asked me why I ban animals (dogs) I responded “because they urinate, defecate, and regurgitate whenever and wherever they want!” He got insulted, I guess his animals live outside or in a cage.

    If Cara sues them in small claims, she will win the judgment and can get their salaries garnished and/or a bench warrant. I’m gonna do just that since I went through pretty much exactly what she experienced only it was destructive humans not animals.

    Ditch the insinkerator, tenants are careless with them. My lease requires tenants to pay to have sewer line maintained once a year since they flush all kinds of garbage. Plumbing is delicate and needs tender treatment. 

  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    4y

    Charge them the full amount for cleaning.  Look up the lifespan of the carpet and charge accordingly. So if it costs $1000 and the life span is 10 years and it was 2 years old when they moved in, charge them $800.  Same with the garbage disposal.

    All of the other items are legitimate expenses, bill them for it.

  • Member since 2021 · 240 posts · 300 votes
    4y
    Just fyi for future reference. I had a carpet that wreaked of dog. Steam cleaned it probably 50 times couldn't get rid of the odor. Finally steam cleaned it with vinegar instead of the cleaning solution. House smelled like vinegar for 3 days, windows opened and let it air out. Smell was completely gone after that.
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