For those who have rented......

[KellyHabersham]

What's your experience been regarding getting a security deposit back/hearing from your former landlord after having moved out? Reason I ask is because I had turned in my set of apartment keys on January 31, and as of this writing, have heard nothing from the leasing office. And while I've not expected that I would be getting a deposit back, I did provide a forwarding address, so I figured that I would have heard something either way.

[LillFilly]

I think at the very least you should have gotten a letter stating what the security deposit was held for; like bills for repairs, painting, etc. Wouldn't hurt to call the leasing office. Only took me less than a month to get the remainder of mine back, and depending on how much the deposit was, how much do you think they'd really have needed? Was the place in really bad shape when you left, and were you responsible for it?

[Jester]

Politely, professionally, call them and ask.

[charred]

Remember, security deposits and cleaning deposits are not the same thing.

[Racket_Man]

if you are not going to get your security deposit back at the very least they should have sent you a letter detailing their "expenses" which caused you not to get it back.

call them for more information.

[Becks]

Politely, professionally, call them and ask.

What Jester said.

[tollbaby]

I've always gotten my security deposit back. Definitely call and be professional

[Geek King]

It may be a bit harder now that you've moved away, but here are some guidelines for what you should be trying.

1) Know what your state law covers. Each state in the U.S. has different laws on "reasonable use" for rental properties. For instance, in Ohio, most rental properties cannot charge you for carpet that has been in place more than four years. This saved me $300 once when the place tried to charge me full replacement for twelve year old carpet. They may have to pro-rate that total for time used too, such as only being allowed to take $75 if the carpet was three years old.

2) Pictures. You should take lots of pictures of the place before you move in and after you leave. You want to cover yourself for pre-existing damages. Sounds like too late for you, but maybe it'll help someone else.

3) Keep in contact with the rental owners. As said before stay polite, but firm as needed. Don't threaten to sue unless you're really going to do so, as they will shut down communication at that point. If you need to dispute something, do it by snail mail, keep a copy for yourself, and spend some extra cash to send it signiture required so you can prove they got it if things do go to court.

4) If you do sue, get your ducks in order, and look into small claims court where you can likely represent yourself. There are some websites out there that specifically cover renters rights, so that could help with court issues as well.

I hope this helps some. I know it can be really frustrating if they decide to play games with you, and I hope this is just some slow proccessing issue. Good luck!

[taxguykarl]

Geek King is right on that one. I got burned on a deposit refund even though the unit was cleaner when I left than when I moved in.
Most states and cities have a deadline of considerably less than 3 months. Be nice when you contact them and don't forget to request an itemized statement.

[Sliceanddice]

ditto what geek and tax-guy with the reminder that its always OK to contact old landlords especially since you can use them as references in other rentals, a small phone call shouldn't hurt.

but if you don't call them and they haven't sent you a letter or called you after 3 months in my opinion its ok to politely but presently get in contact with them to see what is up.

[KellyHabersham]

Well, I do have to wonder how "together" they have things in the leasing office, because (and this is on an unrelated note) they were supposed to have the clubhouse building remodeled in October, and it took until around Valentine's Day before the work was finally completed and residents could use it again.

And I definitely would not expect to get a cleaning deposit back - not that I didn't make an effort when I moved, but some of the reason the carpet was in bad shape WAS because of stains I'd caused.

[Misanthropical]

Geek King is right on that one. I got burned on a deposit refund even though the unit was cleaner when I left than when I moved in.
Most states and cities have a deadline of considerably less than 3 months. Be nice when you contact them and don't forget to request an itemized statement.

Mr. Mis has always told me that landlords will find any reason they can to keep the security deposit. After busting my ass to clean up any place we were moving out only to be burned on it, I don't really bother anymore.

In PA, the landlords have all the rights unless a person is on welfare.

We have lived in our townhouse for almost 7 years now and I have wondered what the reasons would be to keep my deposit if we were to move.

I had a friend who kicked up a huge fuss about her security deposit and was black listed for years by landlords, so be careful out there.

[KellyHabersham]

I did find some reviews online from other former tenants at the said complex who apparently had problems getting a deposit back.......although this involved the previous property management company, and it's hard to tell how accurate such reviews are.

[Sapphire Silk]

What's your experience been regarding getting a security deposit back/hearing from your former landlord after having moved out? Reason I ask is because I had turned in my set of apartment keys on January 31, and as of this writing, have heard nothing from the leasing office. And while I've not expected that I would be getting a deposit back, I did provide a forwarding address, so I figured that I would have heard something either way.

Mixed. When I left California, no problem. I had a good relationship with the property manager anyway, and she mailed it to me, minus a reasonable amount for cleaning, shortly after I moved to North Carolina.

Here in NC, I've never gotten a security deposit back. First time really ticked me off, since they charged me for damage that never happened, but I hadn't taken any photos and I couldn't prove it. I got stuck paying THEM an additional $400 or so.

Second time around, when I bought my house, I took photos of EVERYTHING and left the place spotless. I still didn't get my deposit back, but when they tried to charge me for cleaning and new carpet, I told them I had photos and was more than happy to take it to court if necessary . . . they weren't getting a dime. They kept my deposit, I paid nothing extra. I didn't have a good relationship with the property manager because the management company changed so often in the three years I was there . . . so the people who worked there didn't care about the residents at all.

I consider it a win if I get anything back. I consider it a win if they keep my deposit, but I pay nothing extra.

[blas]

Most landlords will do anything to keep you from getting your entire (or majority of) security deposit back.

If you have an old copy of your lease, re-read it. Both places I have rented have added carpet cleaning as mandatory and to be taken out of your security deposit when you move out, so I'm thinking this is something that I won't be able to avoid anywhere I rent.

I don't think painting or re-carpeting or replacing things should be taken out of your deposit unless damages you caused are the reason they have to be replaced. Most places, they have to replace the carpet or paint after x many years, especially if a tenant stays there long term. This is NOT to say that you caused damages, but that carpets need to be replaced after so many years and the walls should be repainted to keep it fresh.