landlord sueing me

[neraku]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? iowa

i recently moved out of a apt turned in the keys asked for a walk though set a date for one but was denied. now they decided they are keeping my deposit and are charging me for cleaning. they sent me the pictures of the things that needed to be cleaned and they are saying i owe $30 to wipe off one shelf 30 to clean the stove and 30 to clean the shower. all the pictures they sent me there is really nothing wrong, everybody i shown them to can't see what they are talking about. sure the stove might need new drip pans but i'll be more then happy to spend 10 bucks for new ones. also they are charging me $200 for a partial paint job to cover up scuff marks on the wall left behind from a futon. can they really do this or they just trying to get money from me

[Gail in Georgia]

Your landlord is not suing you (at least not yet). What they are doing is withholding that part of the deposit they believe should go to pay for damages above normal wear and tear.

You seem to disagree with this. Thus, your first step is to write a letter back disputing the amount kept and "demanding" it back within a certain time period.

If they don't respond favorable, your next step is to determine whether it is worth your time and trouble to file a lawsuit against them for a return of the security deposit amount you believe you are fairly owed.

Gail

[John Se]

What would it cost you to pay someone to clean up the mess you left behind?. Did you not expect zero tolerance, was it clean when you moved in?

[searchertwin]

Originally Posted by neraku

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? iowa

i recently moved out of a apt turned in the keys asked for a walk though set a date for one but was denied. now they decided they are keeping my deposit and are charging me for cleaning. they sent me the pictures of the things that needed to be cleaned and they are saying i owe $30 to wipe off one shelf 30 to clean the stove and 30 to clean the shower. all the pictures they sent me there is really nothing wrong, everybody i shown them to can't see what they are talking about. sure the stove might need new drip pans but i'll be more then happy to spend 10 bucks for new ones. also they are charging me $200 for a partial paint job to cover up scuff marks on the wall left behind from a futon. can they really do this or they just trying to get money from me

Scuff marks would be damages to property. This is not wear and tear.
How big was the area? Did you move it at times? How deep was the marks?
Did they have to hire someone to do this? A number of things.
$30 to clean stove is cheap. Yes, drip pans are cheaper, but what about the mess under the drip pan? The stove inside? The stove exhaust fan? You got off cheap on this one.
Again $30 to clean shower is cheap. Soap scum can be a slight layer that you can't see on picture, but can feel by hand. Was the faucets shiny or smudge with soap? Was the faucets stopper free of hair? Did you clean that ring around the tub?
The only thing I disagree on is $30.00 to wipe off a shelve.