advice on keeping security deposit

Photos and bills for cleaning/repairing damage/mess should suffice.

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i would say it depends on your definition of "mess". what may be a mess to you may not be for him. if i were you id give the deposit back and call it a day. its not worth the grief or the time. damages however are a whole different story. good luck with that

kkbbddd is right. It may depend on your definition of a "mess." Florida Landlord tenant laws are fairly straightforward and can be found on MyFlorida.com - Home ( I think) Regardless of what your contract may state, it may be illegal for you to keep deposits for reasons which would violate FL law. Penalties are not in typically in the favor of the landlord, and in some cases, a tenant may be able to recover not only deposits but penalties on top of the deposit. I seem to recall normal cleaning and normal wear and tear not being legal reasons to keep deposits. Just be careful and read up on the laws if you are going to be a landlord.

Short term rental deposits are a biatch to keep.

1.) Use film not digital camera to document.
2.) If it's been over 24 hours since the renter left you have to return it. Claims against the deposit must be made within 24 hours of the renter's departure date.

It's posts like these that make my high management fees sound like a bargain! :blink:

Good luck, AB!

Thanks everybody - I just gave the dickhead his money back - eventhough he trashed the place , complained that the house wasn't clean after he threw out the cleaning crew at 4:15 . He told them they had waited an extra 15 minutes after check in time and it was time for them to start relaxing . can't wait to be a renter again and not an owner - soon enough !!!!!

I didn't realize you were talking about a vacation renter. I wonder if the same laws apply for long-term v short term renter/tenant rights. Anyone know?

I didn't realize you were talking about a vacation renter. I wonder if the same laws apply for long-term v short term renter/tenant rights. Anyone know?

Nope, completely different. Technically a short term rental falls under the same rules/guidelines/laws as a Hotel/Motel/Resort. It actually works out better for the owner in the case of short term rentals.