How Much Should I Tolerate From My Landlord?

[MissScripture]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1578866' date='Jun 21 2008, 03:15 PM']In the last 28 years, I have given 11 security deposits. I only received one of those back in its entirety. I'm hardly a head banger that destroys fixtures. One time just to make a point, I even washed the walls with bleach in addition to all the extra cleaning I always do, and still didn't get my deposit back. Not a penny, and she wanted me to pay for new carpet on top of my deposit. The carpet was old when I moved in. I once got docked $75 for the lawn needing to be mowed 6 weeks after the end of my lease. I mowed it the day before I moved out. I wash windows, scrub ovens cleaner than when I moved in, and even steam clean the carpets, and still landlords make me fight over deposits. I also can't remember moving into a rent house or apartment that I didn't have to clean the oven and fridge, and sometimes worse. I'm glad I finally own my own place again. Now all I can gripe about are the taxes.[/quote]
Did you take them to small claims court or anything? Because my grandparents were taken there by tenents who had wrecked the fridge (huge dents all over it), chipped the porecelin bathtub and had ruined the cabinets, because their son had scribbled all over it (and I mean ALL over it) with dry erase marker, and they left the place in a general mess. They won their deposit back. (Plus there are still glow in the dark stickers on the ceiling in the basement, but we didn't realize that until much later...and those are kinda cool)

[CatherineM]

I took them to court every time, once to superior court because I was mad and bored, and wanted to make an example of them. Why they thought it was a good idea to mess with an attorney's deposit, I'll never understand. I always got some of my money back, but never covered my expenses. It was next to impossible to prove I had cut the grass before leaving, even with photos. I've got boxes of photos taken when I moved into places, and when I moved out as well. After becoming a landlord myself, I realized quickly that they basically keep the money of good tenants to help offset the losses from bad tenants. I had to deal with a bathtub full of used condoms once, and I mean full. I had to call in someone who cleans crime scenes to deal with it, and that wasn't cheap, but I never kept a security deposit. Some walked away from their deposits because they were breaking their lease, or knew they had left the place in a mess, so never asked.

[Jaime]

[quote name='XIX' post='1578838' date='Jun 21 2008, 03:34 PM']She will keep my deposits if I try to find a new place. You probably realize that though. [/quote]


She can't keep both deposits unless you are renting two places. She either has to use it towards rent or give it back. If you don't get one deposit back and a rebate on your rent, you are either going to have to roll over and take it or take it to court.

And apparently my experience with landlords has been different. I lived in 9 separate apartments from hovels to pretty swanky. I've always gotten my deposit back with interest.

[XIX]

The next thing I plan to do is to talk with the guy in our area who's in charge of tenant Landlord relations. They probably have some good insight (since they not only know the games that people play, but also the area).

She says she will use the one deposit toward rent. She says the other I get back at the end of 12 months (not that I'm holding my breath over either, especially the second one).

[KnightofChrist]

I don't know if this been said. Sounds like a bait and switch. Ever actually see the 480 place? What exactly is wrong with it that needs to be fix or whatever?

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[XIX]

LOL, I never saw the other place. I mentioned earlier that I tried to cut corners because I was preoccupied. THAT was a mistake.

Apparently she just didn't know how badly the other apartment was damaged. Like they have to re-paint the whole thing and shampoo the carpets. I do think she tried to bait + switch me.

Ironically, I almost wish I had agreed to stay in the $545 place (which is basically identical to the $480 place, just without a few extras like convenient location and central A/C and a microwave.) But I'm literally half a mile away from a perpetual adoration chapel! I wsih I knew that previously! Ironic...

[prose]

Wow.. I have only lost some of all of the deposits I have left, never all of them... I even got some back with interest in the past!! Normal wear and tear (where I am from) can not be taken from the deposit.