Took photos of every scratch when I moved in - saved me $400 on my deposit

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?

2 comments

2 Comments

lane.joel14d ago

Wait, you mean landlords actually try to pull that "we found a scratch that was totally not documented" thing? Yeah, that's their favorite trick, like they think we're just gonna hand over our deposit without a fight. I had a landlord try to charge me for "pet damage" when I literally don't own a pet - I sent them a photo of the cat hair on the carpet from the day I moved in and they ghosted me. The best part is when they claim the stains were "fresh" even though your photos clearly show them dried and crusty from day one. Honestly, I think they rely on people being too lazy or scared to argue back, but a simple email with those time stamped photos usually makes them fold faster than a cheap lawn chair. Oh, and don't forget to include the date stamp from your phone's metadata - that's the real kicker when they try to say you took the photos after moving out.

verac4014d ago

Right, because landlords are definitely just sitting around hoping someone will argue back instead of just handing over proof of actual damage you caused after moving in... those time stamped photos could just as easily be from the week before you left if you fudged the metadata.