Moved daughter out of her apartment after two years. The apartment damage includes $75 for "general cleaning", $150 fir "full paint" and $500 for carpet replacement in her bedroom.

Is it normal to charge the former tenant for cleaning and painting? Is that not considered normal west and tear?

When I rented houses or apartments in college, I did a full video of the entire house before I moved in, then emailed it to the prop manager or landlord. Would then schedule a move out walk thru with them when the lease ended. Pretty easy CYA and worked out well.

When I become a landlord for one little house in Bryan, I encouraged my tenants to do the same.

Melrose Apartments always pulled this crap.

Basically used the individual deposits to "replace" carpets and paint every year. They figure most kids won't know any better and most parents don't track it closely.

Read THIS and THIS about what landlords can and cannot deduct from security deposits.

Thanks everyone.

The apartments were running a special when we signed the lease and required no security deposit.

Does that make a difference?

water turkey said:

---

Thanks everyone.

The apartments were running a special when we signed the lease and required no security deposit.

Does that make a difference?

---

Read the lease.

Diggity said:

---

Melrose Apartments always pulled this crap.

Basically used the individual deposits to "replace" carpets and paint every year. They figure most kids won't know any better and most parents don't track it closely.

---

I immediately recalled my time at Melrose when reading the OP. On move-out, I had that beautiful forest green carpet in mint condition. When we did the walkthrough, she noted the carpet was excessively dirty, no refund of deposit. When I pointed to her shoes covered in grass clippings and grass everywhere she was walking, we came to a more agreeable understanding.

I also fought them tooth and nail (and prevailed) over DTV satellite dish. Flippin crooks they were.

Is it Park West by chance? I'm in College Station right now moving kids in and out. The landlords will try this unless you push back hard. Let me know if you want to discuss offline early next week. Real Estate law for over 25 years.

My family was in one apt. for just about 9 years, just put all the kids through the same place. They "renovated" once in that time frame, adding stick-on tile in the bathroom and poorly-done laminate countertops. The carpet was the same that whole time.

We cleaned the heck out of the place, filled wall holes (dart board), repainted with cheap paint, etc...when we moved out. The only thing they charged us was a carpet replacement fee, stating it was in worse condition than when we moved in...Duh. Who knows how old it was before we moved in, too.

I really want to go poke my head back in one day and see if that carpet is still there. I'd bet it is.

Unless she knocked holes in the wall or stained the carpet, paint and carpet always scream scam charges because those are natural wear and tear items.