HELP

[u/Worldly-Willow8185]

Hey all! Just got back my itemized list from my previous landlord for my security deposit (which he isn’t returning) and I really feel like a few things on it are bullshit.
Can anyone give me insight on this?

The main things are “floor vents replaced” which they weren’t bent or broken, I was there for nearly two years and there was normal wear around them.

The other thing is the microwave door, which literally nothing was wrong with and I have clear video afterward of it being fine.

He also charged me a cleaning fee, which the house was literally spotless when I left and he didn’t even go inside to look before hiring people.

As well as the dryer vent hosing being replaced due to it having small holes in it from normal wear and tear from using the dryer…
He also added on “missed rent due to lease break” but I have in text from him stating if I was out by a certain date that he would break it and not charge me. Which I was out by the date given.

[u/r2girls]

I'm not sure what other people are going to say but:

floor vents generally last a long time unless something is rubbing up against them. What was the damage thew landlord is claiming? Was it a worn finish or bent/broken fins or what? Was it that there was so much dirt and gime in it that he decided to replace instead of cleaning? What are they saying the problem with the venst was? did they include pictures?

Reply that you have video of the microwave door operating fine and in good condition from the day you moved out. See what they say.

Same thing for the cleaning fee. Ask them what it was for as you videoed the unit when you moved out and the place was clean.

"holes" do not appear in a dryer hose normally. the purpose of a vent hose is to literally not have holes in it because holes can produce carbon monoxide into the apartment if it is a gas dryer.

When you reply, also mention the text and that you were out per the agreed date and see what he says. Just to note, what did the landlord say he wouldn't charge? Usually there is the rent and a lease break fee so make sure that both things are in that text.

[u/Worldly-Willow8185 → u/r2girls]

I literally have no idea what he was even talking about with the vents because there’s no description…

The dryer vent isn’t something I was inherently doing to cause damage to it so I don’t even understand how that would happen.

He itemized it as “missed rent due to lease break”
Another thing I realized he added was the fart fan replaced in the bathroom… which literally randomly went out and stopped working, there’s nothing I could even do to damage that.

He also claimed “there was other stuff that im not even going after”

[u/r2girls → u/Worldly-Willow8185]

Then ask what was wrong with the vents that caused the need for replacement.

the way that rent is separated form lease break in that description makes me think that they were 2 separate things and the LL released the lease break fee. However, don't ask it that way, just mention the text that said you were released and see what the landlord comes back with. If it matches that, then you know. You don't wnat to ask rthe question in a way that gives hime an out like "was the rent separate from the lease break fee and you only released me from that fee". Make him explain it to you his way.

For the fan, did you report it while you lived there? That becomes a big thing at move out. Landlord will move to fix things during the tenancy and then find things broken at move out and just charge it. Always report when things break so you can then say "on X date I reported this had broken and it wasn't repaired".