Ever wonder why it is so hard to impossible to get your deposit back.
Some managers or landlords/landladies do not tell you their “cleaning” rate, so can charge you what they want when you move out. One property owner charged $640 for an hour of indoor cleaning and a couple of hours of outdoor cleaning. This fee did not include carpet cleaning, which was an additional $150 dollars. I know what you are thinking, but the house was clean and I saw the pictures. They didn’t clean under the fridge or under the stove, which is what the indoor cleaning was.
It makes you wonder how they can get away with it. I spoke to a couple who have moved 18 times in 19 years. Some moves were due to the property being sold, rise in rent and change of job. But out of the 18 times, they only received partial deposits back twice. Both times were less than 20 percent of the original deposit; and both times the property owners were individuals. One of their landlords sold the house the couple were living in. Even helping the house sell, they were told they needed to move in two weeks, and if they did, they would get all of their deposit back. Feeling they had no choice, they agreed. Then they were told they weren’t getting the deposit back because the owner had a mortgage to pay. In addition, if they even thought of taking action (which they couldn’t afford since they had a new security deposit to come up with), they’d be sorry, and the landlord and his wife would make sure no one would rent to the young couple again.
This was unbelievable, and I had to check into it. The stories are similar among tenants. The reason property managers, landlords or landladies can get away with it is most tenants just walk away from any potential return of their deposit because they don’t want to deal with the hassle of trying to get it back.This is your money, not theirs. They may even be making interest off of your money. Take these steps to ensure you’ll have a better chance of getting some of it back.
The best thing you can do to ensure you get some or all of your deposit back is, upon moving in, to notify the landlord of any damage not noted on the initial walk through. Take pictures of noted and un-noted damaged. Upon moving out, make sure you leave the place clean or cleaner than it was when you moved in. Take more pictures. Also, have two or three witnesses to the fact the place is clean. Check your state’s law to find out how long your landlord has to return your deposit. In some states, if the time elapses and he or she has not returned it or given you written explanation why, he or she has to return the entire amount of your deposit. If you feel the landlord has overcharged you, you might have to take action to get your money back. For both of these reasons, there is small claims court. Try sending a certified letter stating you have pictures. Maybe the landlord won’t want to go to court. In the end, it’s up to you, but a little hassle may get your deposit or partial deposit back.