Furry demolition expert just cost me $200

Well, just got the bad news from my supervisor. Apparently my last landlord has not only decided to keep the aprox. $800 in deposits I gave them when I moved in 3 years ago. They want another $200 for scratches to the floor courtesy of Aya.

The floor was pretty scratched up before I moved in, but I had her there in secret for 2 years and no one ever said anything or noticed and I wasn't allowed critters. I think I should probably just pay up and keep mum about it...

Isn't the $800 deposit suppose to cover any damages? Maybe the added $200 is Aya's own rent payments.

I don't know if it's any different in Japan, but in the U.S., a landlord can't ask for more money after you've moved out. That's what the deposit is for---they're supposed to ask for a sufficient deposit to cover all reasonable damage. If you truly wreck the place they can sue you, but otherwise they aren't supposed to ask for more.

Did Aya really scratch up the floor or was it just incidental stuff? Unless she really did a number on the floors I probably wouldn't pay.

I dunno. If you weren't supposed to have her and did anyway that does seem like a reason they could charge you some extra $$. Kinda like you broke the rules so they can too. If you aren't supposed to have a pet; and then your pet causes damages I would think that is outside the bounds of reasonable damages. And yeah; did she REALLY do damage to your floors??

Japan laws are probably different. Not only that, you have to have a guarantor when you move in, so if I don't pay they can go after the principal of my school where I work for the $$$ since he had to sign on the dotted line too. Everybody I work with knows I have a cat and that she was not supposed to be allowed in that apartment.

The floors were probably more scratched when I left but they certainly weren't pristine. They were soft pine and anything would scratch them. There was a big gouge left by my first sofa's leg in one corner that I know was my fault. The toilet seat snapped in two a couple weeks before I moved. And Aya had scratched all the door jams (also soft pine that I could scratch with a nail). She also did in 2 of three window screens (but those are cheap to replace). the cuboard door was ready to fall off but had been patched back together before I got there to begin with.

Well if she damaged the door jams then yes it's reasonabe to ask for more. But $800 in deposits seems sooo high to me! But then I've never rented. That stinks that everything was done in pine like that! Moldings don't cost a ton to replace; depending on what kind of wood you use.

Yeah, if she actually scratched stuff, I'd pay the extra. The things we do for our kitties .

Originally Posted by MoochNNoodles

Well if she damaged the door jams then yes it's reasonable to ask for more. But $800 in deposits seems sooo high to me! But then I've never rented. That stinks that everything was done in pine like that! Moldings don't cost a ton to replace; depending on what kind of wood you use.

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Most place s in the US require a deposit = to or greater than one months rent.... Plus additional pet deposit... Renting the house I now own cost 1500 in deposits 9 years ago ....

Honestly since I am guessing you do not have pictures of the apartment prior to moving in and also were Not supposed to have a cat Pay it...

Yeah hun, where she wasn't supposed to be there I'd just pay it as well.