Q: Can my landlord deduct “cleaning apartment” and “carpet from my deposit?
Hello,
I leased with this company in bowling green Ohio called greenbriar. My security deposit was $367.50. Before leaving the apartment, my roommate and I took a good 3 days to clean this place which included vacuuming, dusting, disinfecting, bleaching, etc. The place looked good when we left and we expected to get the deposit back. However, in the mail they gave us a list of “damages” which included $150 for “cleaning apt” $95 for “carpet” $150 for “wall damage” which is most likely from a small hole made from moving in funiture. $20 a piece for 2 “burner pans” and $95 for “broken vanity” which is from a small piece of wood that fell off there very old drawers in the bathroom. All in all my roommate and I owe an extra $135 on top of our deposit. I feel like I am being scammed here. Is it normal for a place to charge this much for cleaning and other things?
A: Those are normal cleaning charges. If you dispute them, you can sue landlord in small claims court.
A: You can dispute the charges by filing a small claims complaint. If your landlord is found to have wrongfully withheld your deposit you can recover treble damages and your attorney fees. However, it will be difficult for you to establish the condition of the apartment at the time you vacated unless you photographed the apartment on your way out.
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