Can you be billed more then your deposit when you move out?
In the state on Minnesota. When you move out of an apartment or rental property, can they try to tell you to pay them more then your deposit was, for cleaning or repairs? Or would they have to sue you?
I live in an apartment, and painted a few of the walls different colors, which they told me i could do when i moved in, as long as I painted it back. But I dont have time to paint it back. My deposit was only 200$ so i dont really care if they keep the whole thing. Ill still clean up, but im not going to bust my butt cleaning, if there just going to keep the whole deposit anyway.
So I want to know can they keep my deposit, and then tell me I owe them 100$ on top of that? Is that allowed in MN?
Please only answer if you have had exp with this, or know for sure.
This hasnt happened yet, im moving out by the end of the month so I honestly dont know what they are going to say, They told me when i painted that they may want to keep it the way i painted it. Im just worried about it.
10 Responses
Classy Granny
09 May 2010
kimmamarie
09 May 2010
You promised to repaint, now you’re reneging on the deal. Of course you are going to get charged for painting it back and its going to be more than $200. They are going to have to have paint, undercoating, and labor. And in order to match the paint, the will have to do the whole room, not just the wall you painted. That is exactly why I dont allow painting.
And if you dont clean and put the apt back to the normal state it was in, then you will be charged for cleaning. Cleaning rates run $10-20 an hour. So if you have never cleaned the stove and oven, count on an hour there at least. You made it dirty, make the time to clean it.
So, they can keep your deposit towards the above items, plus take you to court for the rest. Pray there are no damages on top of that. Once he takes you to court, he will have a judgement that will go on your credit report for 6 to 10 yrs, depending on what state you live in.
He has the right to his money to put the apt back in the same condition it was. Not cleaning is not normal wear and tear, its just laziness. Also, reneging on your deal with him just makes you irresponsible and if he has to give you a reference, believe me, he will let your future landlord know.
Take the time to paint it back to the color it was and clean the apartment good. Then take pictures to insure you get your deposit back. Also make sure there are no damages and that everything that was working is still working. Take responsiblity for your decision to rent an apt.
acermill
09 May 2010
Of course they can. Do you think you could get away with trashing the place entirely, and only lose your $200 deposit ? A deposit is nothing MORE than an upfront payment to help the landlord insure there is some money available to cover such costs when you vacate the premises. If you cause $2000 worth of damages, expect to be sued for the remaining $1800 in court.
ann
09 May 2010
In IL we can charge whatever it takes to clean the apartment. I don’t see why you think there should be a limit on that.
Leo F
09 May 2010
They sure can. You said you don’t have time to repaint but you have 10 days before the end of the month? They can keep you deposit and charge you to repaint the entire rooms, clean carpet, and all the general cleaning that you do not want to bust your butt doing. And if you think your going to get away with only another $100, good luck, I bet it will be $500. Stop being a lazy butt and start painting and cleaning
goz1111
09 May 2010
It’s allowed in any state in the nation, the security deposit is to cover damages but is not a limit on what the landlord is legally allowed to collect on a damage unit
If your damage to the unit is greater then the security deposit, the landlord can first issue a bill, if you fail to pay the bill or dispute the amount then the landlord is free to sue you in small claims
you are legally obligated to all the damage you did to the rental irregardless of the security deposit amount
They can not just keep your security deposit, they can deduct damages from it and if the damages are more then the security deposit they are fully within the law to sue you for anything over
your problem is how much is it going to cost a painter re-paint the rooms? since you are legally obligated to return the unit to the original paint color
john E
09 May 2010
they will total up all repairs, subtract the deposit and demand the rest if you do not pay they will go to court and get a judgment along with putting it on your credit report
PATRICIA MS
09 May 2010
Take pictures! They can come after you for more if the place is damaged.
patrick m
09 May 2010
they will need to take you to small claims court to get the money – more than likely they will win, and then get a judgement agains you. That will go on your credit record, and every time you apply for something, you will need to explain what it was, and then show them the ‘satisfaction of judgement’ (proof from the court that you paid them) – about 10 years of this from the court date.
They are also a valuable credit reference if you leave on good terms…
you decide if it is worth $100 –
it happened to me in college, and i had to do it to someone who trashed my place 20 years later…….GL
ibu guru
09 May 2010
You made an agreement to repaint the walls you painted, and if you do not fulfill your agreement, they can charge you for repainting, and keep your security for cleaning up after you. Plus you will get a negative reference when you look for another place — landlords check with applicants’ former landlords ever more frequently now.
Repaint as agreed and clean the place up or you have more than financial problems hounding you for several years down the road!
It would be allowed in any state. Painting is always a big issue and that is why as a landlord, I do not allow painting. If I have to pay someone to clean after a tenant they pay for it. Painting and cleaning will certainly use your $200 deposit and probably more. If you aren’t willing to pay, they’ll sue and you’ll loose in landlord/tenant court and they you’ll pay all they ask for plus the court cost