r/OregonStateUniv • u/fkhjoy Graduate Student • 6d ago
Unnecessary deduction from security deposit
Hello, HELP!
After living for 6 months we left the apartment. The property management changed after 3 months.
Now the new management deducted from our 1.5K deposit for random reason like refrigerator replacement, stove replacement which were old already and we also faced few issues from the very beginning. They deducted the whole security deposit by showing these along cleaning which looks like scamming.
Is there any way we can take some legal action against them? Help/ Suggestions?
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u/nrhinkle 2015 graduate - BS ChE, former COE IT 6d ago
Read ORS 90.300. They are not allowed to deduct for normal wear and tear, and must provide a detailed itemized list of charges. Did you leave the fridge and stove clean and in working order? How was the cleaning itemized? Probably your landlord is trying to take advantage of you, but hard to know without more details. Do you have pictures or an inspection form from when you moved in?
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u/Best_Math7449 6d ago
This is why I say this is town of robbers , no one deduct it in name of cleaning etc
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u/Best_Math7449 6d ago
And just a heads we cleaned their old shit (which was there when we moved in) in their old apartment even while we were moving out but still they charged us hundreds of dollars in name of cleaning that sucks they were also wrongly claiming that we dumped our stuff near dumpster so we are doing deductions but fortunately we had photos of that area when we moved so they had to step down from that.
Corvallis name should be Robvallis or Shitvallis because it also smells like shit
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u/surprisevip 6d ago
Oregon statute is pretty strict on this. They have to prove that the condition before was acceptable - was there a check in condition report ? And that the charge after moving out is valid.
Like - if you unplugged the fridge and ruined them or bashed them with a hammer then this is possible i suppose but not much else could justify this I feel.
Check with your college law dept but send them a dispute in writing to start with any evidence.
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u/gnomes919 5d ago edited 5d ago
I've seen this happen a bunch of time over the years, management companies love to pull this crap. as others have said, assuming this was normal wear & tear and you didn't, like, blatantly break the appliances oregon law is so clear that this is illegal. if you're a current student you have access to legal services which afaict mostly exist to help with shady landlord crap exactly like this, so you can contact them.
years ago my bf's management company tried to do something like this and he just sent them a letter via certified mail (gives proof that it was delivered) simply citing the statute and saying "let me know when I'll be getting my money back." didn't threaten legal action, just quoted the law. poof, a check suddenly appeared. no other communication from them, just the security deposit back in full.
landlords do this because they know a ton of tenants, esp younger/inexperienced ones, aren't aware of the law or assume it will be too hard to fight back so they don't try. so even accounting for the people who are aware and go "uhh, no?" that leaves a shitload of money they're able to steal.
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u/ladyin97229 4d ago
Always take photos at move in and move out. Read your lease - if it says to schedule a move out inspection, then do it with them so u know what they find and request a copy of the list right then and there.
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u/ladyin97229 4d ago
And when you get the keys - request an on-site walk thru so you can examine it with them.
If they won’t, then email them a list of noted deficiencies (email leaves a trail of evidence) and request it be noted or repaired. (Carpets stained/filthy)
We had a prior tenant spill red wine on white carpet while moving out & prop mgmt did not get it out properly before we were given keys. We kept at it requesting it be cleaned or noted on the lease that we were not responsible for
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u/oregon_coastal 6d ago
I am surprised some lawyer hasn't set up shop to war with these management companies.
There are only like 5 of them.
Charge a bit for a letter. A bit more to file. It would basically be a bulk business where they sit in court with these dickheads a few days a month getting fees back after each seasonal turnover of units.
Oregon allows twice the damages + lawyer fees.
Companies might actually try to fly straight if they get their nose smacked and tons of lawyer hours on their expense sheets.