Calling All Apolyton Lawyers

[Krill]

Yes, that used to be the standard, but I think good documentation (which is always advised these days) has reduced that number considerably. And there have been quite a few laws passed to protect the renter in many states. When I was young, the security deposit was always considered a part of the cost of doing business.

Thank god for digital cameras...

Legality doesn't mean very much in cases like this.

Good troll sir.

[Jon Miller]

The only place that I was really involved in in MD had the interest including, as it was suppose to. They did due an iffy thing, and say they needed to replace the carpet due to the cats which we weren't suppose to have anyways. It was iffy because the carpet was bad to begin with. However, we had done iffy things too, like sublet to someone who had a cat (and the cat did pee even, it was a terrible cat).

We still got over 70% though, we did a lot of hard work (and the deposit was several thousand).

I have generally got most/all of my deposit back.

JM
(Also iffy things like throw knives at the wall, throw soap all over the kitchen, break the railing (and try to burn part of it when I didn't fix it), punch a hole in the wall, etc.)

[Lorizael]

Another example of why it's always a good idea to take some pictures when you move in and again when you move out. It's really hard for a landlord to screw you over when you have good documentation.

I will not fail to do this in the future.

[rah]

Many years ago on the last apartment before owning, the landlord tried to take 66% but when I showed up at the management office with an album of pictures, they immediately refunded the entire amount.

[Lorizael]

The only place that I was really involved in in MD had the interest including, as it was suppose to. They did due an iffy thing, and say they needed to replace the carpet due to the cats which we weren't suppose to have anyways. It was iffy because the carpet was bad to begin with. However, we had done iffy things too, like sublet to someone who had a cat (and the cat did pee even, it was a terrible cat).

We still got over 70% though, we did a lot of hard work (and the deposit was several thousand).

I have generally got most/all of my deposit back.

JM
(Also iffy things like throw knives at the wall, throw soap all over the kitchen, break the railing (and try to burn part of it when I didn't fix it), punch a hole in the wall, etc.)

You sound like our former landlords' previous tenants!

[Jon Miller]

We were a bit drunk at times.

We spent a lot of money, and each of us spent like 5 days, cleaning up.

JM

[Kuciwalker]

Perhaps it's just a Maryland thing, but everybody I know who has moved has had their landlord take between 50 and 100% of the security deposit from them for ridiculous things like the ones detailed by Lori.

QFT. I was surprised to get anything back from my deposit this summer...

[Japher]

The only time I ever got more than 50% of my security deposit back was in a case where they failed to get back to me on time. The 45 days, or whatever the time limit is, is a set in stone contractual obligation. There should be a recourse to breach of contract that would stipulate what you are entitled to and I would pursue it if for nothing else than pure spite.

[loinburger]

When I worked for the air force the apartment complex waived my security deposit. When I was moving out I knew the guy who was moving in (he lived across the street from me in a 1-bedroom apartment, I was living in a 2-bedroom) who got a used washer-dryer and wanted a place to put it, so we got permission from the apartment manager for him to store them in my vacant apartment which was soon to be his apartment. A few weeks later I got a $600 bill from the apartment, $100 for cleaning the carpets (fair enough) and $500 for leaving a washer-dryer (bull****, which fortunately for the new tenant they didn't cart away). I called them to try to work things out, they claimed that they never gave me permission to leave a washer-dryer, I sent them a check for a hundred dollars and told them they'd have to sue me for the rest, three years later I still haven't heard from them. Wutang.

[Dauphin]

How many billable hours are going to this thread?

[Wezil]

How many billable hours are going to this thread?

I won't even read the question (too long) until I see some money on the table.

[Ben Kenobi]

I usually try to get the landlord to drop the security deposit before I rent by paying cash. You'd be surprised how often it works.

[Jon Miller]

Where I have rented from, they won't accept cash for anything. (in Newport News at least)

JM

[rah]

Yeah, individual owners might take cash but no decent sized management company would.

[Ben Kenobi]

Hmm, interesting. My current landlord is a fairly large owner, owns an apt complex, and they prefer cash. So much so they dropped the deposit.