What can you Deduct from Security Deposits?

Are you aware of what your tenant’s security deposit will cover? There are laws in place that tell landlords when they are allowed to deduct portions of the security deposit due to damages that were caused by a tenant.

Landlords cannot deduct for normal wear and tear so how does a landlord know what is considered damage and what is regular wear and tear? Here is a look at determining the difference so that landlords know what they can use the security deposit for.

Damage

Security deposits are in place to pay for any damage a tenant caused to a property. This should be something damaged due to unreasonable use, accidents or abuse. Examples of damage include unauthorized painting, torn and missing curtains, burns or oil in the carpet and broken windows or missing screens. If you see water marks from an overflowed sink or tub or a broke toilet seat or tank, this is also damage.

Other damages to watch for include holes in linoleum, holes in the walls, pet urine stains and burns on countertops. These are all types of damage that can be deducted from security deposit.

Wear and Tear

Make sure you understand the difference between damage and normal wear and tear. If you see wear patterns on the carpet, unraveled carpet seams and scuff marks on linoleum, this is normal wear and tear.

Other things you might see that aren’t damage but just normal wear and tear include warping windows, wall dents or cracks in walls, wobbly toilets or warping windows, these are just normal wear and tear. These types of things would not be you could deduct from a security deposit.

Be sure to look at the difference between obvious damage and normal wear and tear. You cannot use the security deposit for normal wear and tear or normal depreciation of the property, only for damage due to abuse or accidents.