What happens to the security deposit when a tenant moves out. Depending on the state laws and the lease agreement, but in general the tenant will receive their entire deposit back minus any repairs for damage. In the state of Georgia, once the tenant has vacated the property and turned in the keys, the landlord has 3 business days to inspect the property and notify the tenant if there are any repairs to be done which were caused by the tenant or their guests.

This is where things can become complicated. The tenant had lived in the house for 4 years. He had taken good care of the home. His teenage daughter has spilled something on the floor in a bathroom and admits that even though he had it professional cleaned, he would be responsible for replacing/repairing the tile. 

After inspecting the house, we found that the tile indeed would need to be replaced. There was additional minor damage that would be considered  "Normal wear and tear. Now the owner is expecting to take most of the tenant's security deposit to handle all the repairs. We are now in the middle of a situation that both parties are not happy.