Security deposit regarding dirty tenant

[Devon Morrissey]

Hi I am a newer land lord that is going through the process of a tenant moving out and have some questions. After googling for a bit I’m even more confused so figured I’d ask the right people on how deal with security deposit. (I have owned property for 1 year and tenant has lived here for about 8 years) 

I had a tenant move out and they left quite the mess. I’m talking a couple trash bags on porch and around/under porch there was  a couple trash bags worth of junk(including about 10-20 doggy bags of dog poop) a bike, trashed yard games and some general trash. On the inside, the apartment was left pretty dirty..greasy stove from oil being over heated, dust all over ceiling and walls(an impressive amount), wall stains from what looks like candles or incense burning? And dog hair stuck to trim that hasn’t been cleaned in who knows how long. There’s more to be listed but I think I’m painting the picture. 

My question is, what would you do in this situation? I’m not looking to keep deposit, be a scumlord or anything. Just want to be as professional as possible, thank you ! 

[Samuel Eddinger]

@Devon Morrissey - I own a Property Management company in central CT and do about 100 move outs a year.  Here's my experience and understanding of the law about security deposits.

You cannot hold back money for anything that is normal wear and tear.  You can hold back prorated money if the damage is above and beyond normal wear and tear (if paint last 4 years and you need to repaint after 2 years, 1/2 of the painting cost should be covered by the security deposit).  You can hold back money if the damage is not related to normal wear and tear (cleanliness, trash).

I would charge them back for cleaning and the trashout 100% of the time.  If the floors are damaged, it is likely that you could not charge them since 8 years is a long time to live in a unit.  Similarly, paint is beyond its useful life.

I'd be happy to have a conversation with you further about this.  DM me if interested.