Hello PF-- this is my first post ever on Reddit, but I have lurked here for several weeks and recently made an account. Long story short, I live in North Carolina and I am a college student. Landlords who rent to the students in this town are notoriously shady, and the rentals business is huge here. Per NC law on security deposits, I cannot be charged for "normal wear and tear" and the State's Real Estate Commission has clarified this part of the statute saying that routine cleaning and maintenance cannot be deducted from the security deposit unless the house has been left so filthy that unusual or extraordinary measures are required to clean it up.
When we moved in to our place, it was disgusting. Construction dust, dead bugs, greasy stove, filthy bathrooms. We texted our property manager to complain and she apologized and said that the homeowner had broken a leg and was unable to clean and never told anyone the place was still messy. (We pay our rent to one LLC which is owned by a lady and her husband. They own the lease with us. Their friends who own another rentals company manage the house and have been our contact for work orders, etc. We pay our rent to the homeowners but mail it to this management company.)
Fast forward to move out. We cleared the refrigerator, freezer and all cupboards. Swept the whole house. Wiped off all counters and fixtures in bathrooms and kitchen, wiped off stove, etc. We did not scrub and deep clean everything because it was a disaster when we moved in. House is in far better shape than when we moved in.
Today, lady from the managing company met with my roommate to do a walkthrough for checkout at our request. (I sent them a letter with all of our forwarding information and a meeting request, so I could be sure everything would be settled.)
The lady told us they may assess a cleaning fee of up to $180 now. I know for a fact this house is in no way filthy enough to be considered damaged.
I sent a letter after speaking with the management lady on the phone. I detailed the condition of the house on move in and move out, what we did to clean up upon moving out, and the relevant law and guidance from the Real Estate Commission. Quite honestly, the house has improved in condition since move in, so there isn't even wear and tear in that sense.
What should I do now? If they are combative about it should I threaten to take them to small claims court? I know the $180 might not seem worth it, but I don't want them to end up with our money that they do not deserve.
Submitted May 26, 2016 at 02:06AM by rf1994 http://ift.tt/20D4xWv personalfinance
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