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  1. #1

    BG legal advice for tenant! (but not that Christopher Nolan movie)

    I know it's actually spelled TENET for the movie.

    So moved out of apartment here in NM, got a notice today trying to charge me $1200 for damages.

    I lived there for 2yrs, paid a pet deposit when I started to foster 2 cats. My lease was up Sept 1st so I went in July 5th and was notified I had to give 60 days notice. My notice is signed July 7th so it's 56 days or something so they aret rying to charge me $227 for not giving them proper notice...even though my lease was up and I was not going month to month.

    On top of that there's a $116 fee for "opening balance" which has no description and then $510 for painting the apartment. I had the typical few nail holes I covered up when I moved out and there was one hole about 2.5in x2.5in where someone had kicked off their shoe and fucked up the shitty plaster wall. I covered that up too with a spackle/mesh kit from home depot and then did a paint match and painted it up. So at most they have to repaint that tiny hole and that's it (I used to have to repaint apartments for a living back in MD, it's not $510 to fucking do that, let alone an entire apartment)

    Also charging me $175 for "heavy cleaning" and then another $75 for carpet shampoo and deodorizing. No idea what all of this is, because the apartment was cleaned when I left. I didn't shampoo the rugs but cleaned out the kitchen completely, fridge, all kitchen cabinets and all that. Took photos of that stuff, but didn't of the rug since I was exhausted and forgot.

    So my lease looks like it has an added part where it's like "Oh if you lived here for 2yrs we won't assess any painting to your deposit" so pretty sure that $510 is tossed out. As for everything else I wrote them an email contesting the bill and asking for photographic proof of all damage/cleaning that was needed. I have my own photos of most of the stuff to contest. Also contesting paying them $230ish for having not given them 60 days but only 56, fuck off with that shit.

    Anything else I should be doing?

  2. #2
    Relic Horn
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    i paid a pet deposit but in my lease theres a section specifically about needing to treat the carpets for fleas or someshit when i move out for a fee

  3. #3
    Member since 2006 and still can't think of a title.
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    Check your states rental laws for anything concerning useful life. For example, in california the useful life of your carpet in an apartment is four years. So say you move in, the carpet is two years old, you stay 2 years and move out, it's therefore considered end of useful life, and they can't charge you to replace it.

    Stuff like paint would also fall under this as well.

  4. #4
    You wouldn't know that though because you've demonstrably never picked up a book nor educated yourself on the matter. Let me guess, overweight housewife?
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    Did you take pictures of what it looked like when you left?

    The cleaning thing is standard in CA. I lived in a lot of apts. out here and learned fast to not bother cleaning (like deep cleaning) since they we're gonna hire professionals anyway.


    Btw, if they painted themselves, they can't get money for the work from you, just supplies. Ask them for the bill from the professionals. If they don't have you can sue for the deposit. Check your state laws and ask them for specifics. Some states punish landlords for trying to hold deposits illegally, and you get double if there was anything not on the up and up. But that's state by state.

  5. #5

    Quote Originally Posted by Ksandra View Post
    Did you take pictures of what it looked like when you left?

    The cleaning thing is standard in CA. I lived in a lot of apts. out here and learned fast to not bother cleaning (like deep cleaning) since they we're gonna hire professionals anyway.


    Btw, if they painted themselves, they can't get money for the work from you, just supplies. Ask them for the bill from the professionals. If they don't have you can sue for the deposit. Check your state laws and ask them for specifics. Some states punish landlords for trying to hold deposits illegally, and you get double if there was anything not on the up and up. But that's state by state.
    Yeah took pics of the bathroom/kitchen, microwave and some walls but not everything

  6. #6
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    I'd say you may have a good case on much of that. Is this coming out of a security deposit or are they trying to get you to pay additional?

    Get itemized, line-by-line descriptions of the work they are doing and the cost per item. Don't let them re-word or change what they say they are doing. Get everything in writing ... text or email. If you ultimately have to go to small claims, check if your state/area allows for additional recourse on a failed security deposit return. (Some places are 2x or 3x.) Look up how to firmly and formally demand (usually in writing) the return of your security deposit in a timely manner in accordance with state and local laws.

    I've lived in several places that required the shampoo/deoderizing but it was always clearly spelled out in the lease along with the cost. If it's not (or in some other official document you signed) then it doesn't count.

    Was there a monthly charge additional on the pets or just the deposit? That can change the legal standing on things like carpet cleaning in some places.

    Not a lawyer. I do read a decent amount of /r/legaladvice. Have lived in many apartments with pets.

  7. #7
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    I mean, I dunno how things are in the states, but here in Canada you're not really under any forced obligation to pay any bills from rental companies like that, it usually just means they'll blacklist you and you can't rent with them again, if you're moving into you're own place then I'd personally say fuck em, but that's just me, I know people in the states tend to more sue happy then up here so I dunno if they'd be able to come after you if you just skipped out on it.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Drai View Post
    I mean, I dunno how things are in the states, but here in Canada you're not really under any forced obligation to pay any bills from rental companies like that, it usually just means they'll blacklist you and you can't rent with them again, if you're moving into you're own place then I'd personally say fuck em, but that's just me, I know people in the states tend to more sue happy then up here so I dunno if they'd be able to come after you if you just skipped out on it.
    If you refuse to pay and don't fight it in court, it goes to a collection agency and your credit gets dinged. Which generally means a larger security deposit on future rentals (even with different companies) + other credit issues.

  9. #9

    They sent pictures and told me part of the cost was due to having to repaint the entire place due to "odor" which is odd because I had a lot of people over in the past few months and none mentioned an odor, and a few of them were the types to totally point something like that out lol. They even made a comment that my bathroom counter was messy.

    All the pictures are just of regular spackle on walls



  10. #10

    So I caught them having given me the wrong info. My lease ended August 1st but the office told me Sept 1st, this is confirmed on the notice to vacate they signed. Now that I showed them this they are telling me "oh thanks for that, we'll now charge you month to month rent for August and September" which just reeks of bullshit to me.

  11. #11
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    edit: wrong thread

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