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When I moved into the rental home, the back porch/deck was brand new, just built, not weather-protected or stained.....just a plain wood deck. I stayed in the home for a year, had an outdoor rug that covered a large portion of the deck under the patio dining set, a small rug at the doorway, and several potted plants that sat on the deck. When I moved out of the home, I removed all of the deck items listed above and noticed considerable difference in the wood from where the items above had been on the deck. The backyard is mostly red clay dirt and I had a dog that would come in and out of the backyard, up the deck, into the house several times per day (a small "path" up the steps which led straight into the door). Once the items were removed from the deck, you could see a couple of things:
the difference the sun bleaching made on the portion of the deck that was not covered by the rugs and other items for a year. This difference was also noticeable on the deck rails and posts, especially comparing the portion of the deck that was covered by the large outdoor rug...it looked like brand new.
where the dog had run in and out after walking in the yard outside. The portions that were covered by the items were very clean, like new....the steps and the "path" to the door were stained with red clay from the dog's feet.
I have just received the return of my security deposit, minus the cost to power wash the back deck (over $150). Is that a legal charge?
Oh, and btw, when I moved in a year ago I asked the owner if he was planning to stain the deck and he stated "No, I never stain my decks and if you put any stain on it, I'll charge you to tear it down and build a new one!"
I would definitely dispute the charge. Did you by any chance take photos before, during and after? Anybody who doesn't seal a deck is a twit in my opinion and this can't be considered anything other than "normal wear and tear".
Yes, OP, you get to pay to remove any dirt that you tracked in. The power washing was to remove dirt that your dog tracked onto the deck. If you didn't want to pay, you could have cleaned the deck before you moved out.
The reason that many landlords will not rent to pets is that pet owners get all hostile if they have to pay for damage done by the pet.
So, all of you with pets who can't find rentals, tell OP thank you for making your search just a little more difficult.
Yes, OP, you get to pay to remove any dirt that you tracked in. The power washing was to remove dirt that your dog tracked onto the deck. If you didn't want to pay, you could have cleaned the deck before you moved out.
The reason that many landlords will not rent to pets is that pet owners get all hostile if they have to pay for damage done by the pet.
So, all of you with pets who can't find rentals, tell OP thank you for making your search just a little more difficult.
It's not just the dirt, it is the sun bleaching according to the OP. However I do agree if the OP cleaned the dirt off would make a better case.
Yes, OP, you get to pay to remove any dirt that you tracked in. The power washing was to remove dirt that your dog tracked onto the deck. If you didn't want to pay, you could have cleaned the deck before you moved out.
The reason that many landlords will not rent to pets is that pet owners get all hostile if they have to pay for damage done by the pet.
So, all of you with pets who can't find rentals, tell OP thank you for making your search just a little more difficult.
I strongly disagree. If a landlord decides against all better judgment and common practice to leave a deck with untreated bare wood which quickly "weathers" and soaks up any stains then the LL has to expect wear and tear. That's clearly evidenced by the fact that the OP saw the big discrepancy between the color of the wood which was covered and that which was not. In this case the wear and tear is "normal" and not caused by the tenant's negligence. I don't know anyone in any climate who puts down a wood deck and doesn't protect it properly with a finish.
I would dispute it. A dog walking on the deck is normal wear and tear. Your LL is an idiot for not weather proofing/staining the deck. What did he think would happen?
Well, he didn't charge you for the difference in the color of the sun bleaching the deck, he charged you to clean it. In that case, it seems fair to charge you to power wash it.
The only question is, does it cost $150 to power wash a back porch? Did he send you a receipt?
You could write him and ask him to provide a receipt for the power washing, that you dispute the amount.
But, I'm thinking it wouldn't be worth the fight, if you otherwise have a good reference from him. If he will give you a bad reference, then, yeah, you could fight him over the cost.
I strongly disagree. If a landlord decides against all better judgment and common practice to leave a deck with untreated bare wood which quickly "weathers" and soaks up any stains then the LL has to expect wear and tear. That's clearly evidenced by the fact that the OP saw the big discrepancy between the color of the wood which was covered and that which was not. In this case the wear and tear is "normal" and not caused by the tenant's negligence. I don't know anyone in any climate who puts down a wood deck and doesn't protect it properly with a finish.
Oregonwoodsmoke is often wrong. This is another great example.
Failing to properly seal the deck is on the landlord. Even if it were properly sealed, they'd almost certainly lose this case if it went to litigation. Decks are--by their nature--exposed to the elements. They take a beating. As such, they require fairly regular pressure washing that is simply beyond what tenants can or should be doing.
Any landlord with a deck needs to accept the costs of pressure washing that come with it. Attempting to pass that cost onto the tenant is rather unethical.
Oregonwoodsmoke is often wrong. This is another great example.
Failing to properly seal the deck is on the landlord. Even if it were properly sealed, they'd almost certainly lose this case if it went to litigation. Decks are--by their nature--exposed to the elements. They take a beating. As such, they require fairly regular pressure washing that is simply beyond what tenants can or should be doing.
Any landlord with a deck needs to accept the costs of pressure washing that come with it. Attempting to pass that cost onto the tenant is rather unethical.
Thanks to everyone for the responses. Just to clarify...I live in an area where there is a lot of red "clay" soil. I am also in an area that got an extreme amount of rain last year, drowning out a lot of the "weeds" in the yard (which is a good thing in most cases), but which left the yard with large patches of red soil exposed (the fenced back yard that we are referring to was approx 1/4 acre), including 2 large areas where the owner apparently had 2 trees removed immediately before I occupied the home. The red soil did not come off of the deck when the deck was swept at move-out, and it would have been impossible and unreasonable to sweep the deck every time the dog came in and out of the yard during the year that I resided in the home. The large amount of rain we had just basically "soaked" the soil into the untreated wood (for lack of better words).
I never received an itemized statement or receipt from the landlord, so I am currently in the process of demanding a refund of the amount withheld, and if I get no reply within 30 days (mandated by my local magistrate), I will be taking him to court.
For Oregonwoodsmoke: I paid a $500 nonrefundable pet fee when I moved in. I am a responsible pet owner and did not receive any charges for damages or cleaning inside the home. The dog did not cause this damage and I did what any reasonable tenant would be expected to do. This was NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR! Look it up!
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Thanks for the responses...
