Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California
deduct from deposit
tenant only live one year, when they move in, i put new carpet and paint, do i have a right to deduct re-paiting cost and shampoo carpet from their deposit
Asked on 7/25/03, 1:52 pm
1 Answer from Attorneys
Roy Hoffman
Law Offices of Roy A. Hoffman
Re: deduct from deposit
The general rule in California is that a security deposit can only be used to replace or repair items that have been damaged "beyond normal wear and tear." If significant damage was done to the paint and the carpet was excessively dirty, then you can deduct those items from the deposit. If not, however, you need to refund the full deposit.
Answered on 7/25/03, 2:15 pm