Q: In Virginia how does one stop a landlord from passing on normal ware and tare expenses?
The lease says the resident shall pay for causing damage. Unethically, the landlord is passing on normal ware and tare expenses to their tenant. Without any contractual basis or notice the landlord added a $50 fee to the rent for repairing the refrigerator. Also, they did not provide an invoice for the rent payment - easy to figure out why.
A: It depends on how the lease agreement is worded. Usually residential leases are for a specific period of time (a year is standard) with the rent remaining the same for that year. The landlord can not change the rent midlease unless the lease allows for it to be unilaterally changed during the term of the lease. If it was a one time charge for damage there should be a separate invoice for that which you can try and challenge in court. I recommend having a consult with an attorney who can review your specific lease agreement and situation.
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