Deposit

Amanda,
When it comes to the refund of deposits its always best to do a final walk-through with your landlord, just like you did. This allows you to determine how the landlord might charge your deposit. Rest assured that landlords can only charge for items that are beyond normal wear and tear. Most contracts will have a “non-refundable” portion of the rent deposit to cover basic cleaning. Regardless you will have the right to a break-down of how your deposit is charged. A simple letter stating that the unit was dirty is not deemed as valid proof. Landlord’s can charge you for their time to clean the rental. As with anything you can always dispute the charges. Wrongful and unfair charges to security deposits are the most common complaint mediated by the RPA. You can file a complaint with the RPA, or you can try to dispute it yourself. Since the husband told you that they would need to clean the oven and window seals… you should be able to use that as a guidline as to how many hours they can charge against your deposit. 11 hours seems too high, and most likely could be adjusted to a more fair amount.

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