Security Deposit deductions California

[Karen Johnston]

Hello All,

I have a single family home in CA where I reduced the rent by $175.00 a month in exchange for landscaping services from the tenant.  As I switched tenants within one day, I have little, but I believe sufficient documentation, for the deductions primarily to the landscaping. I have a CA Association of Realtors lease with boxes checked that tenant is responsible for landscaping, trees, and watering.

I discovered in June that they had stopped keeping up the property and watering the lawn due to expense of water and a broken sprinkler head that they never informed me about. It also turned out to be a severed pipe in the irrigation system. I was not planning on charging them the system repair, but I do need advice on the things I do want to charge for and proper procedures.

The house is in fire country, and I paid close to $400.00 to get the weeds and brush cut back from this episode of negligence. (This was before I decided to list the house for sale. I let them out of the lease, and they moved on early, but left many things unaddressed). I have substantial photos to document the condition in June, and after they left the property. They came back for one day to remedy some of the issues from my first detailed letter, but not all.

1. Do I need to send them a second letter letting them know what I plan to deduct before sending a final letter with a check of the remaining deposit?

2. Can I legally charge them for:

14 additional hours for a worker and myself to get it back to a state similar to when they rented it. I have documented the projects  and times and dates, and have photos previous to raking and blowing underbrush and dead leaves, trimming hedges, etc.

Water for two weeks? (I can get an accurate meter reading).

The cost to replace 5 rose bushes that never got trimmed properly in the winter, and now they look like Morticia Addams special!

Products such as seeds, and seed spreader?

Trellis that they cut in half and the time to re-stain a new one?

the high estimate for a repair on a washing machine gasket that they never cleaned. Company can not come until August 21st.

And lastly, can I charge 10% on top of these items for management?

The female tenant "spit's cats" as my one friend put it and the total of these charges is close to $1000.00 out of a $3000 deposit. I just want to make sure that I can close the door on this issue without making a legal blunder that would come back to haunt me.

Many thanks in advance for your help and guidance. 

Karen