Annoying apartment stuff

[thistle_chaser]

In hopes of getting my deposit back, I've been cleaning my apartment from top to bottom for a couple weeks now. I've cleaned the ceiling (really, I dusted it and made sure no cobwebs were on it). I cleaned the floor. I cleaned every little thing in between.

And yet I still won't be getting my full deposit back. Not unless I pull out the fridge

Comments

[coconuthead]

Yeah, that feels pretty scammy. Our fridge and range can be pulled out -- they're not hooked in to anything -- but I guess that's no reason why yours might not be.

[thistle_chaser]

I was thinking, would a new tenant even pull them out for some reason? How would they know if there was dust there?

But I guess I can wiggle them and see if they'll pull out like yours. Maybe they're on wheels or something! :P

[manue7a]

That's ridiculous. They should spare you the trouble and just say whatever you do, we'll keep part of the money, that's our business plan.

[thistle_chaser]

Yep, that's just what they should do.

[thistle_chaser]

Oh yeah, pet deposit is 50% more on top of your regular deposit. Not only that, we have PET RENT. In my new place, I have to pay $40 a month for my cat. If I had a second PERSON living there, there would be no extra charge. Such a scam...

I've done a lot of googling since last night, and apparently blacklights pick up some cleaning fluids as well (different color than pee). Do you recall if your big circle was bright blue/silver? That's the color for cleaning stuff. (Pee is yellow-green glow.)

I've cleaned the hairball spots so much, I'm hoping they'll show as the cleaning fluid color instead of body fluids... and that the people doing the lightwork will know the difference.

[thistle_chaser]

In my googling about blacklights last night, I found so many stories of people saying "my pet never peed on the rug, but my potty-training toddler peed all over the apartment". Why should people with kids have to pay some kind of special deposit, too? I bet kids cause a lot more damage than pets.

Every X years (depending on your state) the apartment complex is required to change the carpets, so maybe you got lucky and they didn't charge you because they had to change them anyway? Most places it's 3 years, but California is 8.

[bacchuslives]

Normal wear and tear shouldn't impact a deposit...unless terms are specifically in the lease. It does sound like they take advantage!

[thistle_chaser]

I'm hoping it will fall under normal wear (for the carpet at least), but I'm suspecting it won't.

[fbhjr]

" I really feel like this is a scam."

I've never known anyone to get it all back. I hope you're the exception!

[thistle_chaser]

I hope so as well, but I'm not holding my breath.