returned them "broom swept". Except for one occasion, I've been able
to get my entire security deposit back and that was mainly because my
then-3 year old had drawn all over the walls and then also the Pinda
Flannigan (name changed) incident when I had money blatantly stolen
from me
So I was used the impression that I had a pretty good sense of how
this was suppose to work. I move my crap out, wash the walls of any
markers and paint, sweep the floors and turn off the lights like the
last episode of Three's Company
When I did my final walk-through a few weeks ago for a rental we'd had
for the last few years I was surprised when the agent asked if I was
going to have the place professionally cleaned. Not only had I not
planned to do this but I never thought it was necessary. Every place
I have ever rented had a 'broom swept' clause in the lease
What shocked me is that the agent told me that the place was to be
returned in the same condition as we had been presented. She was
shocked saying that this was the first time she's seen they and said
that she had the place professionally cleaned before we moved in.
This seemed odd as I distinctly remember cleaning the tops of the
cabinets to remove an inch of dust, cleaning out all the cabinets and
having to mop all the floors. But my question is..if a professionally
cleaned apartment is the expectation, why did the agent have it
cleaned herself after the last tenants left being that they would have
professionally cleaned it themselves before leaving it.
Secondly, since you are planning on painting the place before you are
going to rent it again why would you want anybody to waste money
cleaning it?
You actually get your deposit back in New York?
ReplyDeleteIn LA, it is accepted tradition that you never get your deposit back due to itemized "cleaning fees," or if you do get money back, you only get part of it. It's just the way it is. We have a sizeable population of non-English speaking immigrants in LA, who usually just take whatever the landlord gives (but then again, so does New York, so maybe that doesn't explain anything). Maybe it's because cheapskate Donald Sterling owns half of Koreatown and most of the Miracle Mile, and the ripple effects of his landlord practices have reached every slumlord in the LA basin.
Nice Three's Company picture, btw.