[Glitch]

So I'm moving out of my apartment I lived in for the last two years. There are some damages that will need to be repaired such as, the cats scratched up some of the boards around the doorways, my chair scratched against the wall and took out a chunk of plaster, brady's tv tray scuffed some paint, and the carpets will most likely need replacing. We have a male cat and he hit puberty and went on a pee party around the apartment so there are tons of little pee stains that I have tried many times to clean but they aren't going anywhere, and the closet smells like cat pee. The kitchen floor also needs replacing because our water heater had exploded last year - the maintenance guy said he was going to make arrangements to replace it but he never got around to it.

So anyway, we figured we had until our move out date to get the place ready - or that we'd receive some response telling us when to have it ready by. This morning I got an email saying it needs to be ready for showing on Friday. Well it just isn't going to be possible. I am trying to write a letter back to let them know it isn't cleaned and that our cats are still there, but I don't know how much detail to go into or if I should even say that. I just read in our lease that they can charge us another months rent if they think the repairs are going to delay their ability to re-rent the place. I feel like I should just tell her to keep my security deposit and to not show the apartment before it is ready. I guess I thought they would come for a walk through before wanting to bring strangers in! At prior apartments I've lived in that was how it was done, they came in and said "all these things will need to be fixed before you leave" and I would say ok! Not this "i know I haven't been by in 2 years but I'm doing showings of the place on Friday!"

Anyway . . . what should I do? I can only send emails since I already moved out of state and my boyfriend promised to clean the apartment while he finishes out his last two weeks of work. If my car was working I would probably have jumped in it this morning and been driving back I am feeling so panicked.

[Coda]

Some landlords are nice and understanding. Some landlords are inhuman machines whose only drive is to execute the will of the company.

Check the renter's rights laws in the state where the apartment is. Most states require an itemized list of expenses and don't allow a landlord to withhold any money beyond the direct costs of repairs. Many states prohibit charging for normal wear and tear (such as replacing the carpet after a certain number of years), or for tasks that would have been done regardless of the condition of the property (such as cleaning the carpets).

Repainting an apartment only takes a couple days, even if they have to fill holes. That much, you're just going to have to accept will be deducted from the deposit, but it shouldn't be bad.

There's probably an escape route with regards to the floor. Assuming you weren't negligent about maintenance, I don't think they can get away with saying they'll fix something and then not acting on it for a year.

Whatever you do, don't apologize for anything or tell them to keep the deposit. If you do that, then they have grounds to say that you admitted to being negligent, or that you settled on how much money they can withhold.

Most states require the landlord to contact you regarding the deposit in a timely manner. If you don't hear anything, complain. If you do hear something and it's unreasonable, complain. Be ready to contact the appropriate governmental office and/or a lawyer.

Overall: It's not worth stressing out over. Stay calm and you should have no trouble reaching a fair result.