Some states prohibit landlords from withholding money from the deposit for basic cleaning.
Carpet cleaning security deposit georgia.
Here are seven basic security deposit rights tenants have in georgia.
Typically they would need to file in small claims court to get the money returned.
Landlords can only keep money from the security deposit for damages that are beyond normal wear and tear.
Any carpet cleaning charges they collect in advance must be treated as part of a security deposit which must be subject to a refund.
Your security deposits may also be withheld for actual damages caused by breach of the lease or rental agreement.
Landlords who hire an outside property manager may also be subject to following these laws even if they own ten or fewer rental units.
Security deposits are for the benefit and protection of the.
The statewide security deposit laws in georgia only apply to landlords who own more than ten rental units.
Deductions cannot include normal wear and tear essentially a landlord would have to sue a tenant as a separate matter if they did not pay for routine carpet cleaning required by the lease.
But when it comes to a carpet that is badly stained or damaged a landlord can charge a tenant for cleaning costs or even to replace the entire carpet if it s that badly damaged or stained and they can do it by withholding all or part of the security deposit.
One common dispute between landlords and tenants is carpet cleaning.
In disputes over security deposits courts have often considered basic carpet cleaning to be part of normal wear and tear.
Typically landlords may use a tenant s security deposit for any cleaning or repairs necessary to restore the rental unit to its condition at the beginning of the tenancy landlords may not however use the deposit to cover the costs of ordinary wear and tear.
If you left obvious stains and dirt on the carpet while living there then it could be considered damages beyond normal wear and tear and the landlord could deduct carpet cleaning costs from your security deposit.
And the longer a tenant has lived in a place the more wear and tear can be expected.
If the carpet cleaning does not exceed a professional cleaner s normal rate and the carpet doesn t have any actual damage.
Thus carpet cleaning wall painting and other like expenses cannot be deducted from your security deposit if such resulted from normal wear and tear.
If a landlord does not return a security deposit within 21 days or the required amount of time in your specific areas tenants can take legal action against the landlord to have the money returned.
