Security deposit and my lovely mother cleaning

[Megan Frank]

Hello all. We are turning over an apartment that was pet friendly - both dog and cat. The tenant was supposed to be out today, but her cat was still in the apartment along with several items (there was a load of laundry in the dryer and a freezer full of food!). Their motorcycle was in the driveway along with 10 plus bags of trash and the lawn is very unkempt. We had let them move out on the 8th and prorated this month because we know we can get someone new into the apartment by July 1st. The boyfriend came over and said they will remove the trash and items and he says he will mow the lawn as well if he can get his lawn mower, which is also sitting in the yard, fixed. There was pet damage to a carpet and broken blinds that we plan on deducting from the deposit. We will also be charging them rent for an additional day since their items were not out. I forgot to mention that they did not even pay the prorated rent for the month. We spent the better part of the day deep cleaning. The walls, fans, and air conditioning units were covered in fur and there is a greasiness all over the cabinets with fur imbedded in it. Pretty gross. I know landlords can not deduct for their own time cleaning, but my mother was over there all day with me for 8 hours and she is coming back tomorrow. She does not own a cleaning company or anything but can I withhold some of the deposit to pay my mother for her efforts? I know I can pay her out of my own pocket, and would, if she would let me. On a side note - my Mom is the best cleaner EVER! NH Legal Aid (below) says nothing about cleaning or yard work: 

Your landlord may deduct any or all of the following expenses from your security deposit:

• any rent that is still owed,
• the cost to repair any damages to the apartment or leased premises caused by you or your guests, and
• the tenant's share of increases in real estate taxes (but only if a written agreement requires this)                                     Thank you for your help!