Security Deposits VS Normal Wear and Tear

I’m Kim Meredith Hampton with Hampton & Hampton Management & Leasing, your Central Florida Property Management Company serving east to west coast

Today we are going to talk about

Security Deposits VS Normal Wear and Tear

This is probably one of the hardest things to determine and explain. What exactly is “normal wear and Tear”/ The definition is the deterioration of the property that occurs during occupancy where the tenant cleans regurarly and cares for the premises reasonably.

Remember security deposits are for the protection of the landlord in the event that something is damaged or really dirty.

What Can and Can’t be Deducted from a Security Deposit? I also want to point out that you MUST video or do a full walk thru with photos prior to the tenant taking occupancy. Possibly using a professional third party vendor for the pre-inspection is a great idea, give a copy to the owner and tenant

Excessive holes in walls

Broken tiles or fixtures in the property

Plumbing backups

Repainting where a tenant has repainted from the original color

Tears, holes, stains or burn marks in carpets

Missing or damaged blinds

Broken windows and window screens

Broken doors and locks

Broken or damaged appliances

Excessively Dirty

Pest control if you see Bugs and or fleas

Junk or trash left behind

Past Due rent

Fees incurred from fines from the association due to the tenants conduct or lack thereof

Water damage to hardwood floors

Missing outlet covers

Remotes for garage or gate if not returned

Rekey of locks if tenants did not return the keys

Unpaid utilities, as long as they were part of the lease agreement

Undoing a tenant alteration

This is a sample of things that are usually considered to be normal wear-and-tear and should not be deducted from a security deposit:

Slab or plumbing leak

Normal rug wear. Be especially careful charging a tenant for the entire cost of carpet when the carpets are like 10 years old

Picture or pin holes in walls, as long as not excessive

Painting the exterior of the home

Pressure washing unless there are oil stains from their auto

Routine maintenance

There are many more circumstances that could and will come into play, but lets all work together to come to a resolution. Remember those photos and or videos prior to and after occupancy to document everything!

I’m Kim Meredith Hampton with Hampton & Hampton Management & Leasing, and thanks for listening