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I live in Philadelphia and upon moving into my apartment I paid for the first month last month and two security deposits each for 895 a piece (I basically paid 4 months rent to move in) I was told the extra security deposit would be applied to my second to last month rent but now the landlord is saying they will check with corporate and see if this is the case. Also can my lease states I must pay for carpet cleaning when I leave and they will automatically keep half of one of my security deposits for redecorating. ..is any of that legal?? Thanks !
In PA, landlords can charge a security deposit equal to two months rent for the first year of a lease. Was there anything in writing or in your lease acknowledging that the second deposit would be applied to the second to last month's rent? If not, the LL has to follow PA landlord tenant laws (see link in first "sticky" on this forum) where return of the security deposit is concerned and provide documentation to support any deductions made from it.
"Also can my lease states I must pay for carpet cleaning when I leave and they will automatically keep half of one of my security deposits for redecorating. ..is any of that legal?? "
Your wording is confusing. DOES your lease stipulate those conditions? If it does then you agreed to those terms when you signed the lease so have to abide by at least the carpet cleaning mandate which isn't unusual. If you plan on using a service of your choosing to clean the carpets, suggest you take dated "before and after" photographs in case there's any dispute after you leave - and obviously keep the receipt from the cleaning service.
I'm not sure whether or not a LL can automatically deduct half a month's security deposit for "redecorating" even if you agreed to it. Someone with more experience may be able to answer that or else check with legal counsel in your area. It does sound a bit "off" to me and it's not something I've ever come across. Security deposits are to cover anything beyond normal wear and tear and not "redecorating".
I pretty much agree with all that STT wrote above. However, if they keep part of your deposit to pay for carpet cleaning then you probably should not clean it yourself, otherwise you could end up paying to clean it twice. Verify if the landlord wants you to clean it before doing so.
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