How much to withhold for damage from cat?

[Dave Bopp]

Hello all,

I'm writing to get some advice on withholding money from a tenants' security deposit because of damage caused by his cat. He just moved out yesterday and upon getting the unit ready for turn over I discovered mounds of cat feces that he had dumped and left in the basement next to the laundry area. I cleaned up the mess, but of course the basement still reeks of cat urine/feces. I plan to withhold money from his security deposit, but am unsure how to quantify what should be with withheld. He had been paying pet rent and paid a $200 non-refundable pet deposit up front, but I know this smell is going to linger and will be an issue for the tenants who just moved in.

Any input would be appreciated!

[Greg M.]

A non-refundable deposit? They either paid a pet fee or an increased security deposit. Your lease better have the correct wording if it gets challenged. 

What you can charge is your actual cost. In MANY areas you cannot bill for your time, but you can hire someone to do it and charge that actual cost. As stupid as that sounds, you can't deduct $20 for your time to clean up the mess, but you can deduct $600 by hiring Randy's Clean-Up Service. 

Hire a company or someone to clean it up and deduct the exact amount you paid them. There are many products/services that can remove the smell.