2bed, 1 den, 2 bath condo in Irvine, California. We left our place in decent condition with just the usually wear and tear. We moved out the 5/1 and did the walk through with the landlords. There was nothing major that they wrote down on the walk through and they said they were going to e-mail me a copy of the walk through papers in a few days. A week later, they sent me an email saying that they didnt think the security deposit ($3000.00) was going to cover the damages. 5/20, they dropped off the final walk through papers w/o a call and a bill for 4,500.
3600 for painting/shutter repair (NO)
toilet paper dispenser 90 (expensive, but yes)
repair man 220 (Yes)
housekeeping 375 (Yes)
carpet shampoo 170 (Yes)
new fridge 1450 (NO)
limestone cleaning 1200 (what?)
screen door 400 (NO)
What should I do? small claims. lawyer, what?
2007-05-22 16:05:17 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
we have the inspection sheets and we contact them via e-mail. i have kept all the past e-mails
2007-05-22 17:15:24 · update #1
the only thing we did so far was to send them back an email asking for copies of the receipts, we're waiting on those first (it has been 2 days)
oh yeah, please dont send any e-mails to this addy, it's my dummy yahoo account ^_^
2007-05-23 04:05:12 · update #2
3600 dollars for painting are they kidding you with this crap. I just painted my whole house, 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, kitchen and living room for about 300.00. I would write them a letter, send it certified, stating that you left the condo in good condition and are waiting for your deposit back. I would state that there was normal wear and tear on the condo and state the terms of your lease or contract. I would also state that they have 7 days to mail you your deposit back or you will be contacting a lawyer. Make sure you keep a copy of the letter for yourself, copy the evelope that you are sending it in and keep your certified mail receipt.Yes I would talk to a lawyer most will give you a free consultation and you can get more of an idea of what you need to do. I hope that this helps.
2007-05-22 16:17:16 · answer #1 · answered by princessami 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It has always been my experience that you never get your security deposit back, sad world we live in, however...
The security deposit exists for covering all of those costs, if the landlord decides to pay more to replace or fix what is broken or damaged then that is the landlord's problem, and I don't care if you did it or not lol.
Because rent also covers those costs, if the landlord can not maintain the place between the rent and the deposit, then the landlord is in the wrong business, but you have to know what reasonably you did, I mean I did not see the place before you moved in / after you left...
I would not ignore it, they'll likely put it on your credit record, do you have that inspection sheet you were supposed to fill out when you moved in?
Good luck
2007-05-22 23:30:59 · answer #2 · answered by netthiefx 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You are probably being ripped off. Limestone cleaning ? A NEW refrigerator ? Some management firms will take whatever they can out of a security deposit. Sad to say, your only option to challenge them is in small claims court.
It is always advisable for a departing tenant to take photographs of the condition of the property being vacated, as a means of substantiation, should it come to court action.
I can only wish you the best. As a landlord, this generally irritates me. I do not treat tenants thusly.
2007-05-22 23:14:49 · answer #3 · answered by acermill 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here is a link to the CA Dept of Consumer Affairs website: http://www.dca.ca.gov/legal/landlordbook/sec-deposit.htm
You need to call or e-mail the landlord immediately with the reasons that you believe the deductions are improper and follow it up with a letter - certified/return receipt requested; or personally delivered and receipt signed.
Depending on what the landlord does, there are further steps to be taken on the website.
2007-05-22 23:14:10 · answer #4 · answered by aj485 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
we got the same crap from our landlord last year. We ignored them, they threatened small claims court, we paid 30 of the 400 they wanted, and have ignored them since. Its been 6 months i think they gave up. Thats a ton of bullshit. We were expecting a check back, getting a bill back is the biggest shock in the world
2007-05-22 23:11:02 · answer #5 · answered by raudru83 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's bullcrap. Tell them you aren't paying anything since they kept your security deposit and that should be MORE then enough to cover the painting, tp dispenser (which doesn't cost 90 bucks!) repair man, housekeeping and shampoo.
2007-05-22 23:16:33 · answer #6 · answered by ~~*Paradise Dreams*~~ 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Call the Better Business Bureau, and file a complaint. Then march straight to small claims, and ask for $900, triple the deposit amount.
Don't tell them you are doing this. Let them find out when they get their court papers. Don't accept any phone calls. Don't respond to e-mails. Limit your exchanges to "Put it in writing.", "You'll find out." and "See you in court."
You are going to win. Start acting like it.
2007-05-23 10:45:37 · answer #7 · answered by NeighborLady 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋