Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Ayyrika t1_jan1ocb wrote

Currently moving out of the west end and saw other apartments on my building listed with a “move in fee” of $75 what the fuck is that?? Also got a move out email about having to basically scrub the apartment top to bottom with cleaners before we leave. There can’t be a single spot of dust or dirt- meanwhile they never came to fix a leaky sink, poor floor boards and literal holes in our basement walls. But what’s with the move in fee? Shouldn’t that go towards professional cleanser or even the bullshit $1400 in rent we pay to live next to nothing with no off street parking? Landlords in PGH suck.

58

ByuntaeKid t1_jang3ty wrote

Yeah when I moved out of my last place I took an abundance of photos, cleaned the whole unit myself, then hired a professional cleaner to make another pass to get everything spotless.

My mother thought I was paranoid, and the cleaning lady was like “there’s hardly anything left for me to clean!” But lo and behold, the management company emailed me saying they’re withholding the deposit because they found mold. Sent them the pictures (of the exact spot they were talking about, there was no mold) and the receipt from the cleaners and I got my deposit + never heard another peep from them.

PGH landlords/management companies are really out here trying to get one over on everybody - probably because of the abundance of college students who don’t know their rights as tenants, and that they deserve better.

68

dratseb t1_jaofm3s wrote

Take them to court, they'll be forced to pay tripple your security deposit.

14

Hmgeisler t1_jaos0g5 wrote

Did that change? It was double when I took a landlord to court years ago.

10

dratseb t1_jaow2a1 wrote

I haven’t seen it happen in over a decade, so it’s very possible the laws have changed

3

Sunfish-Studio OP t1_jan5won wrote

Yeah it especially frustrates me because I'd consider myself the perfect renter; great credit score, stable job, no evictions or even a late payment with past landlords to vouch for me, I don't smoke or vape, no pets to tear up the carpet, no roommate or partner to get into fights with and bother neighbors, 0 criminal history, nothing. Like if you own a property and just want a warm body who's not going to damage the place or annoy the neighbors with noise and pays rent on the 1st without fail, that's me

That's not to brag about where I'm at, it's to say that despite all that my process trying to find a good place to rent has still been miserable, so what about people trying to get back on their feet? People with an unsteady job or minor criminal charges or bad credit they're trying to change? I have the time and resources to actually fight landlords on stuff like not returning security deposits and have the time before my lease expires to really vet my living situation and it's still a soul crushing experience. I cannot imagine how miserable renting is then for people who have a month or less to find a new place or just have no experience or a someone to turn to to try and fight erroneous reasons landlords try to withhold security deposits and all that.

32

EmiliusReturns t1_janlbfv wrote

Anything that’s not in the lease isn’t enforceable. I’ve had companies do that before where upon move out suddenly they “require” X Y and Z to be done to get the deposit back. Welp, you didn’t put that in my lease so tough shit. Printed out the relevant paragraphs of the law and left it on the counter with the keys. Got the deposit back.

20