Security Deposit withholdings – cosmetic repairs
I recently moved out of an apartment in Houston and got my security deposit refund check in the mail and $750 was deducted from it. I received a somewhat itemized list that included things along the lines of – Cleaning (countertops, baseboard, windows $155)
Holes in wall or woodwork (gap @coax outlet and wall edges damaged $175)
Fridge door not replaceable ($849.76)
Somehow that added up to $750 being deducted?
But anyway, my question is concerning how landlords in Houston or Texas can account for how much to deduct for a repair. The damage to the fridge sure is not “normal wear and tear” since there was a ~1” dent on the corner of main door. But, in the email chain sent along with the images they point to how they got the $849.76 – the cost of a complete replacement fridge. They chose this since the replacement door would be equally as expensive after including service labor.
So here are my actual questions- 1. Is the repair cost to be deducted if an appliance is replaced the cost of a new appliance, or the depreciated cost of the original appliance? 2. If the damage is solely cosmetic are they within their right to state it has to be repaired at all? 3. I am not expecting anything more back , but I do wanna try to make sure they are needlessly spending this extra $750 on replacing a perfectly good fridge. Am I able to try and force them to send me a receipt of the new fridge they’re supposedly buying ?
If anyone has input in dealing with Texas and/or Houston specifics of this kind of thing, I’d love to hear. I know the rules can vary by locality quite a bit.
submitted by /u/Wthobart
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