Cooktop grates replacement cost from tenant's deposit
My tenant left the house (after 3 years) in such disarray that I had to pay $1200 for clean-up and $1000 for repair (it is a 1450 square feet townhouse). I only had $300 listed as a cleaning fee listed in the lease so I am planning to only deduct $300 instead of $1200.
However, the cleaning person was unable to restore the stove grates/grills to their previous state (they were like-new when I left) from years of baked-in grime and grease. I myself tried cleaning them 4-5 times (watching YouTube hacks) but they are not clean enough and the DIY products (ammonia etc.) are making me sick now. I am at my wit's end and think the tenant should take some responsibility.
I want to replace these grills instead of spending more time restoring them and this time I am planning to deduct that cost from the tenant's deposit. What do you think?
#2 General Landlording & Rental Properties Contributor
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#2 General Landlording & Rental Properties Contributor
The tenants should leave the place clean. If they don't, they pay for the full amount to clean it. Replace the grills and bill the tenants. you have the right idea of including photos. Also include photos from before they moved in.
Quote from @Addy Cash:
1. A replacement grate can be purchased for under $60. Why spend hours and hours trying to clean them when you could just replace them and charge the tenant?
2. Just because you charge a $300 cleaning fee doesn't mean you are only allowed to charge $300.
Get rid of the cleaning fee because it's probably confusing your tenants and it's definitely confusing you. Charge a traditional security deposit generally equal to a month of rent. For higher-risk tenants, charge 1.5x or 2x the rent for additional protection. When a tenant causes damages or leaves the place dirty, charge them for the cost of returning the property to its original condition, minus ordinary wear-and-tear.
