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I don't have much experience as a renter. We just moved out of an apartment that we had a 3-month lease on, because we moved to a new state and needed time to find a house. We moved out on Dec. 31, and have now received a bill for cleaning which I disagree with.
1. $180 cleaning fee. I felt I did a great job of cleaning the apartment before we moved out. I actually didn't even realize any cleaning was expected, because I knew the apartment would be professionally cleaned. But the apt mgr said I did not sufficiently clean the fridge interior, the stove interior, or the grout in the shower. (BTW, I was not given a written itemized list, but those 3 things were what she mentioned when I called.) She said for 1 or 2 items not cleaned, they don't worry about it, but 3 or more, they charge the tenant the full cleaning charge of $180.
But according to Louisiana law, security deposit can be kept only for actual damage to the apartment, or things beyond "normal wear and tear."
When I called the apartment manager today, I quoted Article 9, Section 3251 of Louisiana law to her, and she was completely unaware of it. The lease does say that upon move-out, the apartment should be thoroughly cleaned, but tub grout? Really?!? How dirty could it have gotten anyway, when we only lived there for 3 1/2 months.? Regardless, I don't believe the law allows them to charge me $180 to clean 3 things. The apt mgr won't budge on the cleaning fee (nor on 2 other fees they billed me, that I believe are incorrect, and I am disputing), so I have already left a message with an attorney's office.
It's not a lot of money in this case, but if they get a few hundred extra bucks from every tenant who moves out, it adds up to a lot.
...and have now received a bill for cleaning which I disagree with.
...the apt mgr said I did not sufficiently clean the fridge interior, the stove interior, or the grout
Anyone fight something like this and win?
Those who have won did so with proof that move out condition was equal to or better than at move in.
(with a short tenancy like 3 months wear and tear really doesn't apply)
Quote:
but if they get a few hundred extra bucks from every tenant who moves out...
I actually didn't even realize any cleaning was expected, because I knew the apartment would be professionally cleaned.
Yes, generally the "camp-site rule" applies to apartments. Leave them better than you found them.
And yes, the apartment was professionally cleaned! At your expense. Because you left a few items dirty.
Learn from your oversight, and don't pester any more attorneys about your $180 bucks. Its not worth anybody's time, even more so considering you admit that you overlooked a few things.
I agree it's not worth bickering over but it does make the point so often repeated here that both tenant and landlord should take detailed and dated photographs before move-in and upon move-out. My previous landlord tried to pull the same thing on me in deducting an $80 cleaning fee which was ludicrously petty (one cobweb in a corner of a ceiling and some smears on a ceiling fan!) but I had both before and after photos and was all set to take her to small claims court if she didn't immediately return my full security deposit. Her response was, "Oh, you wouldn't take me to court for $80" and I assured her I would indeed. She coughed it up.
From your own words I agree you should suck it up and learn from experience.
Meticulous to me means nobody could disagree that an appliance is clean....spotless means just that....not one spot.
Meticulous means being so careful, no 'spot' would be overlooked.
3 months worth of soap scum can dull the finish on tub/shower walls noticably.....especially noticable when it's somebody elses.
If it's the cost you are disputing and it's that important to you, you could object (or fight for a reduction) if you can prove it is very excessive for the area you live in and that all the rest did, indeed, need cleaning.
Although it is a lot for just those 3 items, she may be tellling you that when 3 or more aren't acceptable, they figure everything may not have been done "well enough" do did everything over.
On top of the cleaning fee, the apartment manager is wrongly charging us for 2 other things. Her refusal to dismiss those fees reinforces my opinion that she is being unreasonable. One charge is because she says we were not charged the correct amount of rent when we added 2 weeks onto our original 3-month lease (she admits it was their error), so even though we were given a final bill and paid it in full, she now claims we owe additional rent. Also she claims we did not leave the DVD player's cord (it was a furnished apartment), so she charged us for that. I'm quite sure we did not remove the cord from the DVD and take it! That's ridiculous. Since she didn't do a walk-through with us when we moved out, or a check-off list of things that were furnished, it is her word against ours.
When I met with her a few weeks before move-out to specifically ask what I needed to do at move-out time, she gave me no move-out materials, no check-list, no verbal instructions other than "bring your keys to the office." I think she knew that without specific move-out instructions or a walk-through (which she now says I could have requested, but I had no idea then that it was an option), most people (especially those of us unfamiliar with renting) will forget something that she deems important. How hard would it have been for her to tell me what was expected in terms of cleaning when I met with her? I feel like it's just a scam to come up with a few additional charges when tenants move out.
Besides, aren't apartments professionally cleaned after one tenant moves out before the next one moves in? Regardless of how clean an apartment looks I always assumed it would be deep-cleaned/disinfected, just as a hotel would be between guests.
This isn't a matter of money, as this apartment was paid for by the company who moved us here. It is completely about principle.
You left a Dirty Ref/Stove & Bathroom & expect not to be charged for cleaning .... Yeck!
When you put it bluntly like that, it does kinda smack me in the face, like it should have been a no-brainer. So thank you for that. Seriously!
I see now that I was conditioned by decades of moving. The homes we have bought and moved into are rarely clean when we move into them. And it's understandable, because when the movers for the previous owners have packed all of their things, they no longer have their vacuum or mop or cleaning products. They're packed. (and no, the movers don't leave them until last, then wait a few hours to drive off while the person cleans). When it's a long-distance move (as ours always are) you can't just keep your vacuum, etc and bring it on the airplane.
I actually always purchase a few inexpensive cleaning items (toilet brush, broom, paper towels, vinegar) and instruct our movers to NOT pack them, then after our furniture and boxes are all loaded onto the moving truck, I clean the house the best I can with my limited supplies. But even this has not been the case in the vast majority of houses we've moved into.
So when I did a lot of cleaning of the apartment, based on my past experience, I honestly thought I was already going above and beyond. To someone familiar with renting, and with the expectation that EVERYTHING be spotless, I can see how a few oversights on my part appeared to be serious omissions.
But that doesn't explain the other wrong charges that she won't budge on, or on my expectation that the apartment would have been professionally cleaned after we left.
Every place I have left if the apartment or house is cleaned well enough it doesn't need to be professionally cleaned. That doesn't happen often from what I have been told. I have always gotten all my deposits back but I work as a professional house cleaner so I have an advantage. If you are going to continue to rent always remember to take pictures of everything when you move in include the days newspaper in all pics. Also make a list of every single thing that is or could be blamed on you. Nail holes, dirty window wells, dirty air vents, cracks in tiles, dirty or stained grout. Make a copy and give one to the landlord try to have them sign for it.
Upon leaving clean the place better than you have ever cleaned before. Hire professional help if needed. Again take pictures and take your list to make sure you haven't made any new damages. Always insist on a walk through with the landlord. Be there for that walk through. Remember what you think is clean enough usually isn't. Good luck.
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If you are going to continue to rent always remember to take pictures of everything when you move in include the days newspaper in all pics. Also make a list of every single thing that is or could be blamed on you. Nail holes, dirty window wells, dirty air vents, cracks in tiles, dirty or stained grout. Make a copy and give one to the landlord try to have them sign for it. 
