this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2023
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Yep. My last landlord did this. Kept half of our deposit. Said that our rabbits damaged the carpet, and that we didn't clean it.
Well that didn't sit well with me, since my rabbits can't ingest synthetic fibers, or they'll fucking die, so we militantly kept the off the carpet. Also, I was scrubbing the damn baseboards of that shithole at 2AM, like hell I didn't clean it.
So I went in and complained, asked for photos and a description of the areas that weren't cleaned, and the damaged carpet. Leasing company said that it was a mis-entry in their system and they would correct it. 2 days later I get a check for the deposit... and half of it is missing. Reasons for withholding : Standard cleaning fees, and pet treatment. So again I go and ask them, What the actual fuck. They said it was standard, everyone pays it.
So I pulled the pet addendum, no cleaning fee for small mammals (as in, not a cat or a dog) and, per the law in my state, the landlord is not allowed to withhold any part of the deposit for normal wear and tear and standard procedures. And... there was no mention of this in the lease that we both signed.
So I send them back a letter breaking down the language of the lease, the law, and advised that I will get my full deposit back, or I will seek damages for them unlawfully withholding my deposit. I also advised them that a small claims court could force them to produce records of all the other tenants they pulled this shit on.
They wrote me a check right there.
This is great that you managed to do that (genuinely), but most renters don't have the time, energy, knowledge and/or confidence to fight against this kind of crap, nor should we have to (not saying you even implied we do, just saying).
Fuck landlords.
In a funny twist of fate, I'm actually renting from the same company again. It will be interesting to see if they try to pull the same bullshit again. If they do, I'll probably take the morning to deliver some flyers about tenants rights, the applicable state law, and the pattern of exploitative behavior they are exhibiting.
Do that either way, sounds like a fantastic thing to do for your community!
Same company, different management. Best thing I can do for my community right now is catch the serial dog shit ditchers who keep leaving "gifts" in my side yard.
Just gotta get the damn camera sensitivity set correctly.
Ew, good luck with that lol
Do the other thing too though (or something similar, if you're able and safe to, of course), strengthening community, and the individuals in it with knowledge is so beneficial.
Lived in a home for just under 4 years. Moved out of state. Several months later I get a vicious call demanding 2700 dollars usd for damaged carpet and a "smell". I was young and dumb at the time and didn't think I had any recourse. Being thousands of miles away and the threat of legal crap at a young age is daughting. Fuck landlords. We are very clean people.