Seattle Nesties
Dear Community,

Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.

If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.

Thank you.

Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.

another apartment question

Does anyone know anything about charges when vacating an apartment.  We gave proper notice and vacated our apartment on Oct. 31 and now they are trying to charge us $220 for painting, carpet cleaning and apartment cleaning.  In which they said was normal charges that everyone gets... Is this legal?  It doesn't say anything in our lease about these charges and the paper they gave us for the deductions states we shouldn't get charged for carpet cleaning if we lived there longer than 12 months (we lived 19).  They are trying to say that we were given a paper for California and she is checking to see if they have to honor this paper even though it is the wrong one.  

Thanks for your help. 

Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker

Re: another apartment question

  • I never lived in a big complex, but my old landlords would only charge for painting if the interior paint was damaged/destroyed and for cleaning if you didn't clean enough when you left.

    I've always had to pay carpet cleaning when leaving a place. 

    I think you'd have to abide by whatever is written in your lease, even if you were given the paperwork for California. I don't know that for sure though.

  • Well that is the thing.  She said in the state of WA they are allowed to charge those fees... but the only thing that is written is if we don't clean the place we will be charged.  We took pictures of before we moved in and after we moved out.  I just don't know if it is worth the fight or to just pay it and be done with it.
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • Did you pay a security deposit when you moved in?  That should cover the stuff they are trying to charge you for unless you trashed it out.  I also had to pay once because I had pets and never paid a pet deposit.  That was it, though.
    T-man (07/27/05, 2:52pm, 10 lbs, 2 oz, 22") My Blog
    Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers image
    TTC #2 for a million years: SA normal, CD 23 bloodwork shows nothing amiss, ovulation detected. Next step: ? maybe CD3 bloodwork to check eggs? All out of pocket, so limited IF tests/treatments.
  • imagebabyaustin725:
    Did you pay a security deposit when you moved in?  That should cover the stuff they are trying to charge you for unless you trashed it out.  I also had to pay once because I had pets and never paid a pet deposit.  That was it, though.

    No they were running a "special promotion" so we didn't have to pay a Sec. Dep. when we moved in.  We made the apartment look better than when we moved in and they are trying to see legally they are allowed to charge all residents a cleaning fee upon vacancy. 

    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • imageLegalBritt:

    Deductions from the security deposit are only valid if for normal wear in tear. If there is nothing in your lease about a mandatory cleaning fee then they shouldn't be charing you for it.

    this. i've never paid anything..

    BabyFruit Ticker BabyFetus Ticker we're having twins!
  • imageLegalBritt:
    Deductions from the security deposit are only valid if for normal wear in tear. If there is nothing in your lease about a mandatory cleaning fee then they shouldn't be charing you for it.
    I thought that normal wear and tear were accounted for and deductions were for damage (holes in walls, missing screens, damaged floors) and insufficient cleaning.  Can you correct my misunderstanding?

    Carpet cleaning was always specified in the lease (the amount), and i've never been charged for painting.  I was charged for a missing screen once, but it was taken after i moved.  A cursory cleaning of the apartment was always included, but anything additional needed would have been billed to us.

    EDD 9/24/13 BabyFetus Ticker
    Best sound ever: baby's heartbeat! (Heard @ 10w1d)
  • imageLegalBritt:

    Yes, sorry I wrote that backwards. What I meant to say is that landlords can't deduct for normal wear and tear.  I need to type more carefully.

    are you leaving out negative modifiers? this *clearly* is because you don't care.....or whatever that argument was about.

    Wink

    ♥ bfp2 02/15/2012 ♥ edd 10/23/2013 ♥
    ♥ bfp1 06/14/2011 ♥ edd 02/22/2012 ♥
    ♥ baby jennlin born on 02/15/2012 ♥

    image
    who says you can only wear your wedding dress once?

    honeymoon biomarried bioplanning bio
    jumped ship to the new and improved nest. back to TB for baby boards.
  • imageLegalBritt:
    Yes, sorry I wrote that backwards. What I meant to say is that landlords can't deduct for normal wear and tear.  I need to type more carefully.
    I thought to myself, "Wow, i thought i knew this, but she's a *lawyer* and must know!"  Thanks for clarifying!
    EDD 9/24/13 BabyFetus Ticker
    Best sound ever: baby's heartbeat! (Heard @ 10w1d)
  • Yep, they can't charge for normal wear and tear and must list in the lease what "normal" deductions will be charged, such as carpet cleaning, etc.

    I got annoyed at our last landlords. We lived there over 2 years and they specifically said we were not to patch any holes from hanging pictures as they did a better job than us...and then they charged us for patching the holes! Um, considering my dad was a contractor for YEARS, we easily could have patched for far cheaper and done a nice job. Pffft. But, we knew our landlady is beyond OCD about clean and although we left the place in good shape, she still claimed we didn't clean stuff (that I know specifically I spent an HOUR cleaning).

    Daisypath Vacation tickers
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards