Can I charge an inherited tenant for cleaning when they leave?

[Belinda Stoner]

I recently closed on a two-family in New Orleans. My daughter, who attends school there, will live in one side, and I plan to use the other side as a STR. The tenant who currently lives in the side my daughter will live in was given a notice to vacate, and she'll be out by the end of next month. She was a long-term tenant (nine years) and, judging from what I saw when I went through the place, didn't do a lot of deep cleaning while she was there. I mean the place wasn't trashed, but it was definitely pretty dingy.

This is my first time buying a place with existing tenants. With other tenants, I provide a list at move-in of the tasks they will be expected to complete at move-out if they want to receive their deposit back. I even include the amount I will charge for each task that isn't completed--for instance, not cleaning out the oven incurs an automatic $150 charge. 

Since I have no way of knowing what shape the place was in when she moved in nine years ago, can I still do this? It seems like I should be able to. But who knows? With all of the crazy laws out there "protecting" tenants from us greedy landlords, I thought I'd check.

Thanks for any input you can offer!

[Bill B.]

Without anything in the lease, probably not. With no idea of the move in condition, definitely not. After 9 years you’re going to have to cover replacing all carpet and paint under life expectancy anyway. 

If it's going to be a STR you're going to replace all the appliances, fixtures, window furnishings and such unless you're trying to rent it out as either "the cheapest option you have" or "a throwback to how people used to live" option.

Just pretend the purchase price was $500 higher or the interest rate was 0.1% higher, or the lending fees wee a few bucks more. You hope to be sending in cleaners 5-10 times a month, this is just one more time. 

[Belinda Stoner]

Makes sense. Thanks so much for your reply.