So I moved out of my place last month, and the landlord hit me with a $350 invoice for 'painting and patching' because the walls had a few tiny nail holes from hanging pictures. I told him that's literally called normal wear and tear, and in Pennsylvania, they can't charge for that if you've lived there more than a year. Has anyone else successfully fought a bogus security deposit deduction like this?
So my old landlord painted the whole apartment right before I moved out, but they used that cheap flat paint that gets scuffed if you look at it wrong. I paid $1,500 deposit and after 14 months of living there, they kept $1,200 saying my furniture marks ruined the paint. I should have known better since the lease said 'walls must be in original condition' but I didn't take move-in photos. Has anyone else gotten burned by a landlord painting with dollar store paint before move-out?
I moved into a duplex on Oak Street in Portland last month. The first morning I went to take a shower and got nothing but cold water. The landlord sent a guy out who said the unit was from 1998 and just gave out. Landlord tried to say I broke it and kept my $1200 deposit. I had to threaten small claims court before he gave it back. Has anyone else had a landlord blame you for something that was clearly old and worn out?
Landlord wanted to keep my whole deposit for 'damage' after I moved out of my apartment in Austin. I had written a detailed checklist but barely took photos of the place at move-in. The second time I rented I did the opposite. Took 50+ photos with timestamps of every single wall floor and appliance. Landlord tried to charge me for carpet stains that were already there. Photos saved me the full $1,200 deposit. Has anyone else had luck fighting charges with just photos vs written notes?
Honestly, I used to just clean a place and hope for the best, but after losing $400 on a deposit in Austin last year, I changed my whole approach. This time, I took video of every wall and floor in the apartment before I moved in and again after I cleaned. My landlord tried to charge me for a scratch on the kitchen counter, but I had the video from day one proving it was there. Has anyone else had luck fighting those bogus charges with photo evidence?
I always thought renters insurance was a waste of money for like 3 years living in this complex in Columbus. Then a pipe burst above my unit and the landlord basically shrugged and said "not my problem." Lost my couch, TV, and a bunch of clothes. Total damage was about $2,400. My neighbor across the hall had renters insurance for $15 a month and they covered everything for her. Now I definitely pay for it. Has anyone else had a moment where they wished they got it sooner?
Moved into a place in Portland last year and spent 2 hours taking flash photos of every single nick in the walls and a crack in the bathroom tile. Landlord tried to hit me with a $400 cleaning fee and damage claim when I moved out. Pulled out my timestamped photos and a signed move-in checklist, she backed down real quick. Has anyone else had a landlord try to pull something even with proof?
My property manager offered a 'free' steam clean when I moved out last month. I thought it was nice until they charged me $200 for 'pre-existing stains' they claimed the service revealed. Turns out those companies work WITH landlords to find reasons to keep your deposit. Anyone else get burned by one of these 'professional' cleaning setups?
My landlord tried to charge me for carpet stains that were already there when I signed the lease, but I had time stamped photos from day one. Has anyone else had luck fighting these charges with a simple email and photo evidence?
I moved out of a studio in Portland last month and figured I'd get my full deposit back since I scrubbed everything. They sent me an itemized list with $150 for carpet cleaning and $300 for 'kitchen degreasing' even though I cleaned it myself. Has anyone else had landlords hit them with fake cleaning fees even when you left the place spotless?