Charges for property damage/Security Deposit

[Karyn Robson]

After the end of a 3 year lease tenant moved out.  When I inspected the house I found several move out items (specifically required by the lease) to be incomplete.  The charges for the carpet cleaning, window cleaning, chimney cleaning, new air filters and prorated rent charges accounted for almost $1000 of the tenant's security deposit.  In addition there were some minor damages (damaged entry door, broken vanity mirror, broken fireplace equipment, curtain hardware nailed and screwed into stained wood trim and window frames, sticky weather film to be removed from windows).  These damages accounted for another $450.  There were additional issues with tenant repainting, inoperative smoke detectors and lights, and a couple of hours worth of interior and exterior cleaning that we were not planning on charging to the tenant because we have 2 very major issues.

The tenant put down carpeting over our tile floor.  When she had the carpet removed (as we demanded) the tiles all around the perimeter of this large room very damaged.  The tiles cannot be repaired or replaced so the entire room of tile needs to be replaced at a cost of over $7700.

Also the tenant's cat damaged the finished basement so severely with urine that not only did the carpet and pad need to be removed, but also the baseboards, lower 2 ft of drywall and in one area the insulation.  The cost for this work and repainting was over $6000 and the cost to install new carpet was an additional $2400.  I think there was about 40% life left in the carpet so the depreciated amount would only be $980.  

After deducting the deposit, there is still over $13,000 damages due.  The tenant should have had renter's insurance, but I do not know if she did.  I had sent her notice when we found the damage and she said she still felt that she should get her entire deposit back.  I am now trying to write the formal accounting for the security deposit and demand letter.  Should I give any recourse for negotiation or payment plan?  Are there any mediation services that might be able to help us to come to an agreement of payment?  The former tenant is still in the area and has a responsible and well paying job.  I know that doesn't mean that she will want to pay or that it will be easy to get her to pay.

Any suggestions