<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by shutls:
My husband and I are breaking our lease - we've rented our apartment for 6 months and have not at all been happy here because of a noisy tenant downstairs and the neighborhood is not safe - per our lease we are required to pay One months rent penalty fee for breaking the lease and give 30 days written notice. Upon presenting the managment office with our penalty fee and written notice they gave us a written list of items that had to be completed in order to get our security deposit back. One of the items states that we have to have our carpet professionally cleaned in order to get our security deposit back - I have looked over our lease and this (the carpet cleaning) is not mentioned anywhere or on any addendum to the lease. Can they really make us do that? I have reviewed the Virginia Landlord Tenant Act and it doesn't state anything like this either - Help!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
My response:
Not if it's normal "wear and tear." However, if there's ink or wax spots, or anything else that would stink or not be "cleanable," then yes, you'd be responsible. I'm sure you've read in the Act that a landlord must return a deposit within a certain amount of time, or suffer damages. Let the time run out, sue the landlord, and then let him explain it to a judge. Watch how fast you'll get your money, and other damages.
TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES (35mm, not Polaroids) OF YOUR APARTMENT JUST BEFORE VACATING, THEN SUE THE LANDLORD AFTER THE TIME IS UP AS STATED IN THE ACT. BRING EVERYTHING WITH YOU TO COURT - - LEASE, THE ACT, THE PHOTOS, AND THE LANDLORD'S LIST.
IAAL
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