Landlord Question and Answer Forum

Tenants saw apartment, put down deposit, seem reasonable, jobs, good credit, good references. --Weds. night: tenants come by to do move-in/move-out inspection. Apartment is clean; carpet cleaner will come the next day. Tenants hand over first month's rent, sign lease, sign move-in/move-out statement. They look in drawers and in cabinets, but don't mention anything on the statement aside from a ceiling leak mark, despite my repeated questions about if there's anything they'd like to mention. I mention that there's a bin of home-repair stuff I leave in one closet, at the back. They keep saying it's great. The lease is to begin on Saturday. I give them verbal permission to start moving stuff in Friday night. I take pictures before I leave. --Thursday night: I get a voicemail that they'd brought stuff over, and the apartment is "filthy!!!" and the closets are full and that they can't possibly move in, it's just unacceptable!!! I ask for specifics: they are ups

... pset about the bin of home repair stuff, a shelving system (empty) in one narrow/tall closet, and some cleaning stuff I leave under sinks. They are insisting that it's filthy and unacceptable!!! and that I have to send a cleaner. It's not unclean in any sense - I have witnesses and pictures - it's quite clean, every surface, and the carpets had been cleaned that morning, even. I end up telling them: you have two options. Either pile the stuff you don't want around on teh patio, and I'll remove it in a few days; or, since you seem to be looking for the Taj Majal, I'd encourage you to remove your stuff and lock the keys in behind you. They chose the second option. So, I have their deposit + first month's rent. I am making every effort to re-rent it, but that hasn't happened immediately. Should I return their $$ to be rid of them (dodging a bullet - they turned so freaky so fast), or look to cure my damages (rental expenses, vacancy)?

Posted by Susan p, CA on Sunday, September 13, 2009