Landlord Question and Answer Forum

This may need a bit of background info, so let me apologize in advance for the length of this post =). We own and manage our own home rental in CA but just left a lease term in VA and are majorly getting screwed by our owner and property manager! We have a $4200.00 deposit wrapped up in this and will fight at all costs to get a return! We have had major issues with the owner and manager since the day we moved in! The home was in dilapidated condition and obviously not properly maintained by the owner, included broken gutters through out that were causing water damage all over the front and back decks and light fixtures. For paying $2800 per month, this home was anything but acceptable, including basic cleanliness. We had 7 pages of walk thru documentation and 300 pictures of the condition of the home upon move in. All the other major problems that the owner failed to remedy aside, he is trying to claim that our 2, 3 lbs Chihuahua's urinated on his carpet (only 2 rooms in the home even have carpet) so bad, that it went through the carpet, the pad and caused wood and structural damage to the home and that we will be liable for it. First, when we were in the process of having cleaning companies come in he had the agent try to tell us that he wanted to take an undisclosed amount of money from our deposit to clean the carpets BUT he wasn't going to use it to actually clean the carpets. He wanted to use it to help him replace the carpet with wood flooring once he moved back in because he foreclosed on his other home in town and had no where to live and he didn't like the carpet (the was super old too). Second, my small dogs never had access to either carpeted rooms during our tenancy because we always had the rooms closed off. We refused to live in the master that was carpeted or even spend time in the other carpeted room because when we moved in the two rooms already wreaked of cat urine and other odors. We wrote this down on our lease and I even called her (the agent) multiple times to discuss before our in home animals were ever even delivered. She just continued to say that she had receipts from the prior tenants that they had cleaned the carpet and it was not her problem. I beg to differ! We have refused to be held responsible for this damage among multiple others. It is so sad in infuriates me because we left this property w/ 7 acres in 110% better condition in which it was turned over to us in and they are still trying to steal our money.

Wow Jodi, I can't offer any advice other then contacting an attorney. Good Luck.

Posted by karen s, WI on Friday, July 13, 2012