Appropriate security deposit withholdings

[rickyh]

My ex-landlord returned part of my security deposit recently. I was under the impression that the deposit could only be used, under Oregon law, for those things that are considered beyond "normal wear and tear." We spent a week cleaning the place before we moved out, and now we're being charged $250 for cleaning. We're also being charged $150 to replace a sink with a dime-sized chip in the porcelain. Are these things considered beyond normal wear and tear??

Thanks-
Ricky

 

[HomeGuru]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rickyh:
My ex-landlord returned part of my security deposit recently. I was under the impression that the deposit could only be used, under Oregon law, for those things that are considered beyond "normal wear and tear." We spent a week cleaning the place before we moved out, and now we're being charged $250 for cleaning. We're also being charged $150 to replace a sink with a dime-sized chip in the porcelain. Are these things considered beyond normal wear and tear??

Thanks-
Ricky<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Quite possibly your cleaning was not up to par and you caused the damage to the sink, so you pay.

 

[Tracey]

However, if L just does that amount of cleaning at the end of every tenancy, it's normal wear & tear, not damages. Also, porcelain can be repaired. You might be able to argue that L failed to mitigate his damages by repairing the sink. Scuffs & scrapes in the sink are normal, from washing dishes. Big chunks are not. Any chance the chip was due to a defective sink or did you drop a pot in there?

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This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws. [email protected] - please include some facts so I know who you are!