Tenant has property in gross condition so we can't show- can we recoup deposit?

[Taylor Zad]

Hi there, relatively new to this so appreciate any help!

Our current tenant moves out at the end of the month and we just visited the property to check out the condition for showing it to prospective renters. It's messy, dirty, and smells terrible, part cat, part unidentified. We definitely would not want to show the home in the current condition, and at this point wouldn't trust the tenant to get it to a showable place. 

It seems as though it would primarily be covered under "normal wear and tear"  with a couple exceptions, but if the tenant is required to let us show the property during the last month per the lease agreement, are we able to recoup any portion of the security deposit for lost time? Anything we can do? 

Thanks!

[Laura Stayton]

Quote from @Taylor Zad:

Hi there, relatively new to this so appreciate any help!

Our current tenant moves out at the end of the month and we just visited the property to check out the condition for showing it to prospective renters. It's messy, dirty, and smells terrible, part cat, part unidentified. We definitely would not want to show the home in the current condition, and at this point wouldn't trust the tenant to get it to a showable place. 

It seems as though it would primarily be covered under "normal wear and tear"  with a couple exceptions, but if the tenant is required to let us show the property during the last month per the lease agreement, are we able to recoup any portion of the security deposit for lost time? Anything we can do? 

Thanks!

 No you can't since they have possession until the end of their lease.  Check the landlord tenant code in your state for what is chargeable to the security deposit (and your lease)  I'd say the cat damage will be your biggest charge.  Hopefully you had a pet deposit and addendum to help with that.  Otherwise, unless there is actual damage and not just cleaning it would be an additional charge above wear and tear for cleaning.