State Specific Question About: VIRGINIA (VA)

I'm afraid not. It may be different in other states, but our government does not think that our labor has any justifiable value. However, when you pay someone else to do it, you charge the tenant for it, if you can get paid. However - you can charge for the cost of needed supplies.

If you hire your kid or any others you pay them the prevailing wage for that job.

I suppose you could pay the kid's company and they could let you work for them...

Apparently you cannot charge for your labor. Why would you want to? Are you a land lord or a cleaning lady?

Around here, I can hire someone to do cleaning for $10 an hour. She'll make the place shine and all supplies are included in the hourly rate. Much more profitable to be a land lord than wear my fingers to the bone. Plus then I have an invoice I can show to the judge if the tenny contests it.

In OH I cannot charge for my labor. I can, however, give the tenants a schedule of "Standard Cleaning and Repair Charges" (which I believe I got from our very own Jeffrey) and charge those fees. For example:

Replace light bulb: %5.00

Replace mini-blind: $25.00

Clean oven: $50.00

I explain to them that I am always delighted when I can return an entire deposit.

BTW, I usually hire cleaning at $8 0 15 per hr. depending upon the help. I don't like to clean.

Amy, we got around that 2 ways:

1. standard list of charges like Kathi posted

2. I hire my cleaning company to clean. Bill is from Ace Cleaning and Repairs.

Our judge allows $35 per hour.

Bigger issue: cleaning up after tenants will mess with your attitude. Hire it for $50, keep your attitude psositve, and spend those few hours finding a new great tenant instead of scraping poo off the toilet.

My guess is your tenants feel entitled to leave a mess for you.

I tell everyone: invest all your hard earned money in a house, clean up after tenants whose rent was paid by the govt (MY tax dollars), pay the property taxes and income taxes, and you'll probably vote differently.

Amy, a thought:

It's the politics of your local and state govt that say YOUR time is totally worthless. Not even worth minimum wage.

Never do your own cleaning, it's not worth it, the women will do the job far better and faster than me, Republican or Democrat.

I do spray oven cleaner in when I take the pictures...

I do charge for my labor and have won it in court. I charged $10/hour. I think this might be a grey area in the law. I go with a price that would be cheaper for me to charge than to hire out. I also make absolutly certain it isn't normal wear and tear and that it doesn't appear as if I am trying to ding the security deposit for every penny I can get (unless it is so bad and easily documented as to the nastyness).

Spouse, Inc

Son, LLC

Daughter Cleaning

You can pay all these companies and the judge will not bat an eye.