Question about security deposit cleanup fee.

[Gail in Georgia]

Steps to take if you do not get what you believe you are fairly owed from your security deposit...

1. The first step is to write what is known as a "demand" letter to the landlord/management, demanding what you believe you are fairly owed and giving the landlord a certain amount of time (say, two weeks after they receive the letter) to return these funds to you. If you wish, your letter can contain information that you have taken pictures of the rental unit at move out and that you are also willing to continue this issue in court if need be.

2. If no satisfaction, the next step is to consider a lawsuit regarding this matter. Such lawsuits are typically heard in Small Claims court as they involve relatively small amounts of money in dispute. Filing for this court tends to be inexpensive and the cost of an attorney is not required; you would represent yourself in this court. This is where you would present your pictures to the court as evidence that what the landlord is claiming as necessary cleaning costs are inaccurate and/or excessive.

Gail

 

[South954]

Steps to take if you do not get what you believe you are fairly owed from your security deposit...

1. The first step is to write what is known as a "demand" letter to the landlord/management, demanding what you believe you are fairly owed and giving the landlord a certain amount of time (say, two weeks after they receive the letter) to return these funds to you. If you wish, your letter can contain information that you have taken pictures of the rental unit at move out and that you are also willing to continue this issue in court if need be.

2. If no satisfaction, the next step is to consider a lawsuit regarding this matter. Such lawsuits are typically heard in Small Claims court as they involve relatively small amounts of money in dispute. Filing for this court tends to be inexpensive and the cost of an attorney is not required; you would represent yourself in this court. This is where you would present your pictures to the court as evidence that what the landlord is claiming as necessary cleaning costs are inaccurate and/or excessive.

Gail

Thanks Gail.

 

[sandyclaus]

I cleaned the place, I knew I was supposed to, what I didn't know was that the LL was supposed to give me the info as to where my deposit was kept...

Unfortunately, there isn't a penalty that says what happens if the LL DOESN'T give you the info. They could give you that info TODAY, and it would be perfectly valid.

Unless you're claiming they don't have it anymore? Which could be possible, except for the fact that you have no proof of that and no reason to believe it true.

...If she wanted $150 to clean the place after I cleaned it she should have told me before I spent 4 days scrubbing that place. I would have let her do the work instead. And I will get my full deposit back. She had the burden of proof to show how clean the place was beforehand and I know she doesn't have pictures and I do.

Do they ALWAYS charge $150 to clean? Can you prove that?

She didn't have to tell you that she was going to re-clean the place. It was up to YOU to make sure that it was clean, and apparently it wasn't. And don't exaggerate. It didn't take you 4 whole days to clean. That's ridiculous. What YOU should have done is ask what they were expecting BEFORE you started to clean.

You may THINK you'll get your deposit back, but I seriously doubt it. Be sure to let us know after your court case and provide us proof (a copy of the judgment) that says you won. I can just about guarantee you won't get one.

 

[davew128]

150 seems totally reasonable cleaning fee

Sure, if you trashed the place and didn't clean it up.

 

[Banned_Princess]

Sure, if you trashed the place and didn't clean it up.

Or if you just moved out, *scratch that* are very busy moving and dont feel like cleaning past broom.



Good to see you are still an idiot.
Cheers.

 

[South954]

Or if you just moved out, *scratch that* are very busy moving and dont feel like cleaning past broom.




Cheers.

Just so you know I swept. mopped, swept when that dried, remopped, used a broom vac, used a steam mop several times over the whole floor and then used a swiffer wet jet sheets. All tile floors, probably from the 70s. I cleaned the oven with easy off because the self cleaning function never worked. I even scrubbed it. I cleaned the fridge and freezer, sink, bathroom tile with softscrub. Everything was left in rentable condition except for the preexisting damage which they are aware of and I have pictures of when I moved in.

 

[davew128]

Good to see I am still an idiot.
Cheers.

Quoted for truth.

 

[TigerD]

I can get awfully snarky when people are stupid, but there seems to be a general rising of senior conflicts playing out on question threads. My sense is that debating issues and disagreeing is great, but the personal attacks turn off potential posters.

Would it be possible to create a forum or thread for the seniors to air their grievances and engage in the art of bulletin board combat? Perhaps limited to forum members with senior status?

Or, maybe, we could just try to get along a little bit better during the 20-30 minutes per day we spend laughing... I mean .. posting responses.

DC

 

[Banned_Princess]

Quoted for truth.

It's not a quote if you change it.

 

[davew128]

It's not a quote if you change it.

You quoted it yourself. And didn't deny its truthfulness.

 

[Banned_Princess]

You quoted it yourself. And didn't deny its truthfulness.

" I know you are but what am I? " is the stupidest most juvenile annoying game ever, so cut it out, and grow up. Thanks.

 

[South954]

" I know you are but what am I? " is the stupidest most juvenile annoying game ever, so cut it out, and grow up. Thanks.

So why are you playing it?

 

[davew128]

" I know you are but what am I? " is the stupidest most juvenile annoying game ever, so cut it out, and grow up. Thanks.

So calling your superiors idiots after being called out on the carpet (pun intended) AGAIN, is juvenile? Okayyyyy

 

[South954]

Update, I got my full security deposit back.

When I spoke to her at the walk thru a day after I moved out she mentioned all the things that were preexisting that the super told me I wasn't responsible for and that I have a voice mail of. I reminded her what a good tenant I had been and how I had done things to help the place out and if she didn't return the full amount that she and the super would have to lose a day of work to go to court. So she sent it on the 5th and I picked it up from my PO box around the 10th.