Shakespeare Park Appartment    |    Cynthia Wilson    |    Randallstown    ,    Maryland 21133    Landlord Complaint 23-1551

My complaint is about the following charges: Carpet charges of $510 Outstanding rent charges of $127 Charges for blinds $30 Total of $667 Explanation: There was no damage on the carpet caused by me as claimed. When I moved into the apartment on 08/26/11, the property manager clearly and sincerely admitted to me that the carpet was an old carpet and it was not changed. At that time, the carpet already showed signs of deterioration and had multiple stains on it. After receiving the move out summary, I met the property manager in her office on the 19th of March 2013 at approximately 2:40pm to find out the reason for a $510 charge on the carpet, she again admitted that the carpet was old when I moved in on 08/26/11, but the carpet has to be replaced according to report from the maintenance personnel. Ethically speaking, the carpet already had signs of normal wears and stains before I even entered into the apartment and up to this moment still shows the same wears and stains. I am not responsible for any additional normal wears on the carpet. There was no exaggerated damage or tear on the carpet caused by me as indicated on the pictures taken by the property manager. Therefore it is unacceptable to turn around and charge me more than half a thousand dollars for an old carpet. My question is that: why was the carpet not changed before I moved in the apartment that I am being charged for now? In addition, the slight normal wears on the blinds cannot be regarded as destruction of property; tenants are not expected to pay for normal wears. There was no exaggerated destruction of blinds as shown from the pictures taken by the property manager. I vacated the apartment on the 1st of March 2013 after issuing a 30 days’ notice to vacate. I am being charged $127 for four days of outstanding rent which is very wrong. I called the property manager on the phone on the 1st of March 2013 at approximately 3:15pm and pleaded that I might not be able to make it before she leaves to personally turn in the keys, with her consent, she said it was fine if I dropped the keys in the mail box located on the property in front of the office. I later honestly dropped the keys in the box including date and forwarding address on that day. She did not advise me otherwise, She said it was “perfectly fine;” The date of dropping the keys and contact information was included as we agreed which was 03/01/13 but she later on charged me $127 for four days rent.