Deposit Withholding for Cleaning

[Adam Moehn]

How do people handle deposits when a tenant leave behind a dirty unit when they move out? Do you withhold anything for cleaning, or just figure it's part of turnover? If you do withhold some of the deposit, how do you determine what a fair value to charge is? What should be withheld if, for example, the refrigerator is dirty, or the cabinets aren't wiped out, or the carpets aren't vacuumed?

I know the rules vary by state, but I've not been able to find anything specifically about this for Iowa.

[Thomas Fosnaugh]

We use a Landlords of Linn County Move In/Out Checklist and Security Deposit form that has dollar amounts right on the form for everything.