is my renter doing something illegal?
Question by dylanfreak76: is my renter doing something illegal?
She is keeping our entire $ 700 security deposit when we spent a week and a half scrubbing floors, appliances (yes, we pulled them out) had the carpets cleaned, scrubbed bathrooms. I called to ask her what exactly she had to pay a cleaning company to clean after I had already cleaned the kitchen and bathrooms and she couldn’t give me an answer. She just didn’t say anything so I called her a scam artist and just hung up. She contracts with her husband’s landscaping company (is that even legal?) and he charged us $ 300.00 to mow our grass and pull weeds last summer. Now he is charging 2.5 hours for pulling DEAD weeds out of our small backyard. She is charging 19 hours for repainting the entire house, even though we never even mounted anything or used much beyond tacks for what we did hang up. The maintenance guy is claiming that it took him 3 HOURS!!! to re-hang a shower curtain rod that had come loose. 3 hours?! I left an apt. in total disarray before and was only charged $ 700.00 for the entire thing. How can this lady be charging the same for a scrubbed, mopped, swept, empty house? I just feel like crying. I didn’t even take pictures because I never imagined she would keep the whole deposit after all of our hard work. Is there anything I can do without evidence to bring to court? Is it legal that she hires her husband to do work for her property management company?
oh excuse my lingo, miss know it all. Is my PROPERTY MANAGER doing something illegal? anyone with a fucking brain knows what I meant so fuck off.
thanks for all the advise, to those who offered it. I won’t have to worry about his again, no, because I am a homeowner now. We will be going to small claims court with her as it is not legal for her to charge us for repainting the entire house for only a few small areas with chipped paint that she detailed in photos to us. I agree with taking action, Rex, and disagree with sitting idly by, chocking it up to “a lesson learned.” That is simply not the kind of person I am. I fight back. While I may not be able to convince my husband to hire and attorney, we will be rebutting her claims in court. She is charging us for everything right down to “dirty” blinds (I cleaned every one!) which is not allowed either. We will contest her version of “normal wear and tear” which is basically that it doesn’t exist. Oh, indeed it does. And while Pete is right, and I should have taken pictures, I’m certain a judge will return at least a portion of our money to us. It wasn’t $ 700, btw, it was $ 1,000.
Best answer:
Answer by maigen_obx
Renters give deposits to landlords, and the deposit is returned to renter when they leave and apartment in good shape. You are not running your business correctly if the renter is charging you for stuff.
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