How much is at stake
A review of 33 venues' published policies found a median security deposit of $500 overall and $625 at wedding and private event venues, with a range from $300 to $2,500 (RapidEye). Some venues also charge a separate cleaning fee, typically $300 to $500 (Wisteria Gardens).
Why venues keep deposits
Contracts vary, but deductions usually come from the same few things:
- Overstaying the load-out time. Many venues end events at midnight and want everyone out shortly after. One historic venue requires cleanup to begin by 11 PM and everyone off the premises by midnight (Locust Grove).
- Trash left behind, or put somewhere other than where the venue said.
- Décor the contract bans, such as loose glitter, confetti, rice, tape on walls or open flames.
- Candle wax on tables, linens and floors.
- Damage to walls, floors or furniture, including scuffs from moving tables.
- Items left overnight that staff have to move before the next booking.
- Rentals not staged where the rental company could collect them.
Before the event
- Read the cleanup, load-out and décor sections of the contract and mark every requirement.
- Ask the venue for its end-of-event checklist if it has one. Many do.
- Ask where trash and recycling go, and whether the dumpster will hold a full event.
- Confirm the exact out-by time and whether it applies to vendors, guests or both.
- Plan who does what during the last hour. A load-out timeline helps; see our guide to planning the last hour of your event.
When you arrive
Walk the space before setup and photograph anything already scuffed, stained, chipped or broken. Photos on your phone carry a timestamp. If you see something significant, email a photo to the venue coordinator that day so there's a record on both sides.
At the end
- Work through the venue's checklist, or ours: the wedding cleanup checklist covers every room.
- Take after photos of each room from the same angles as your before photos.
- If venue staff are there, ask them to walk the space with you and confirm it's acceptable. A quick text or email afterward ("Thanks for walking the room with us at 12:40, glad it all looked good") is a useful record.
- Return keys exactly as instructed.
Asking for the deposit back
Most contracts say how many days the venue has to return the deposit. If that passes, send a short, factual email:
Hi [name], thank you again for hosting our event on [date]. Our contract says the security deposit is returned within [number] days, and we haven't received it yet. I've attached photos of the space when we finished at [time]. Could you let me know when to expect it, or if there's anything you need from us? Thanks, [your name]
If the venue says it's keeping part of the deposit, ask for an itemized list of deductions with photos. Compare it with your contract and your own photos.
Let a crew handle it
Event Cleaning Pros crews take before photos when they arrive and after photos of every room when they finish, all timestamped and saved on your booking page with the ticked checklist. Forward the link to your venue. See your price.