Investor · Dallas, TX · Member since 2021 · 14 posts · 5 votes
I'm a private landlord managing a property remotely . My Section 8 tenant just moved out after two years. Overall, the structure of the home is fine, but the interior walls are extremely dirty — stained, covered in handprints, and generally neglected.
I had to hire a handyman to repaint the entire interior, which cost me $2,200 (it's a 4 bed / 2 bath single-story home). The move-out cleaning cost is around $240-$550, and I believe it’s fair to deduct this from the security deposit. BTW, the deposit is $2800
🔹 My questions:
Would you consider this level of wall damage normal wear and tear, or damage beyond that that warrants deduction?
How much do you think would be a fair amount to deduct from your deposit based on the condition the walls were left in?
Hey ViVi, as long as you adhere to the lease agreement and make sure that the language in there describes any wear and tear that was likely caused by the tenant living there then you should be more than able to deduct this from their security deposit. Hope this helps a bit. Feel free to reach out if you need our services.