Being charged $1400 for "curry smell" by apartment at end of lease (Scottsdale: condo, mattresses)

[Mister-A]

Originally Posted by BOS2IAD

Per the bolded --- In the past, I've lived in old pre-war apartment buildings in Boston. They tended to have a smell that I just assumed had to do with them being old. Then, later on I learned this: (See #3 in the link below):

5 Sure Signs of a Cockroach Infestation - Pests Off

It could well have been what you were smelling

My family had a video rental store in the '90s. I can tell you that this smell is so pervasive that you could actually smell it on videotapes that were returned by people with infested homes, presumably because roaches liked to hide inside VCRs. When you caught a whiff of it, you had to check the tapes to make sure they didn't have any passengers.

Yeah, it was gross.

[BOS2IAD]

Originally Posted by Mister-A

My family had a video rental store in the '90s. I can tell you that this smell is so pervasive that you could actually smell it on videotapes that were returned by people with infested homes, presumably because roaches liked to hide inside VCRs. When you caught a whiff of it, you had to check the tapes to make sure they didn't have any passengers.

Yeah, it was gross.

Oh, wow! It sounded like they had really severe infestations Good thing you all were careful about checking returned tapes---yikes!

[Harpaint]

Originally Posted by PhureeKeeper

You have what is called "nose blindness". You eat, live in and breathe the same odor for so long you become accustom to it. Consider it the same as walking in to a room filled with cigarette smoke or overpowering perfume.

Yes, it's like cigarette smoke smell that seeps into all porous and semi-porous surfaces. And renters can be charged for this too, even though they themselves can't smell it.

[jimj]

Everyone needs to remember we're only getting one side of the story. Could be way more to it than is being let on...
Are there evil landlords out there? You betcha! I've gotta believe the amount of decent landlords is vastly larger than the dirtbag ones though.

Funny story, when I was in my teens/early 20's (1970's) one of my friends rented an apartment from someone we went to H.S. with (his dad owned several complexes so he managed one). They had a rule that unmarried people could not co-habitat in any of their complexes, in fact they took a dim view of single people having overnight guests of the opposite sex. I think they'd have burned down their buildings if they'd figured out some of their tenants were..... gasp.....GAY!

I have NO idea how they got away with it but they did...

[Harpaint]

Originally Posted by Arizona89A

Who is the management company? I know and have dealt with every single one in town and the silly games that they play. They, even use Computer Programs to calculate rents, because they don't have enough intelligence to figure it out on their own.

Send me a private message if you prefer.

No it is not legal since you cook with it, and that is just general wear and tear on the apartment. In other words, it would be no different than any odors left behind from a pet.

If you are Indian then they are also discriminating against you since curry is essential to your cuisine which is from your heritage.

As for removing odors, curry will go away quickly with windows open and carpets cleaned, and repainting. I've spent a lot of time in motels in Carlsbad and Monterey, Ca. When the Indians are not cooking, I don't smell it at the front desk. When they are cooking, it smells good.

I am very sorry about this. Scottsdale is not friendly to diversity. I can look up the management company and see what their lease states if you would like.

Renters are charged for the cost of eliminating pet smells too, so that is a bogus argument. And you, too, must be "nose blind" if you believe curry smell goes away permanently by opening a window. If you close the window and get a little humidity back in the room from boiling water, the curry smell is back as strong as ever.

[tripper76]

I deliver packages to all kinds of residences all day. I can tell you that every home has an odor. I've nearly gagged a couple times when people open their doors. Cat **** has to be the worst. If you have a cat, I hope you clean out the litter box at least daily. Otherwise, I guarantee your whole house stinks. Second is whatever odor old people have. A combo of disinfectant and death, I assume. I also deliver to a lot of apartment complexes that seem to be nothing but south Asian families. The smell of curry and onions is very strong throughout the entire complex and many units smell like incense when the door opens. Doesn't bother me though because I love the smell of curry.

So I have nothing to add to the legal part of this thread but curry does have a strong smell and I can easily see it seeping into every corner of a home.

[KittySkyfish]

Originally Posted by armor1111

The apartment which i lived in Scottsdale for 9 months have charged me 1400$ for new carpets, full unit paint, duct cleaning, ozone cleaning for the curry smell coming from the apartment after i ended the apartment lease. We have been living in US for 5 years and we never had this problem in the other apartments which we lived. Does anyone know if this is even legal to charge this much amount for the curry smell?

I would say a reputable apartment complex would not offer a unit that reeked of the prior tenants' curry cooking. Upon your move-out, the property management has to clean and repair the unit to make it tenantable for the next resident; in your case it would be measures to permanently remove the curry smell. Your daily cooking of curry dishes left a penetrating, oil-based stain that covered every conceivable surface in your unit. Management had to take steps well beyond the normal unit prep/clean to remove and eliminate that odor so it won't appear again.

Those charges seem about normal for full carpet replacement, full unit paint (that includes the ceiling), duct cleaning and ozone cleaning (to remove odors from the kitchen and bathroom cabinetry).

[Bummer]

Good point, KittySkyFish . . .

I know I would reject a home reeking of an obnoxious odor . . . Curry, Pet Poop or whatever.

Who and/or what gives some the right to destroy the livelihood of others?

[jimj]

Originally Posted by Bummer

Good point, KittySkyFish . . .

I know I would reject a home reeking of an obnoxious odor . . . Curry, Pet Poop or whatever.

Who and/or what gives some the right to destroy the livelihood of others?

Well, according to some you are a racist if you complain about the odors...

[CAjerseychick]

Originally Posted by jimj

Well, according to some you are a racist if you complain about the odors...

no, i just don't believe curry is as permanent as is alleged here- the OP didn't live there for years right?
It would be more believable if they'd lived there for 10 years not 1..
(and not even 1 yr, but 9 months)