I need legal advice about my landlord......please?

I moved out about a month ago. They kept my $300.00 deposit! It was clean and perfect. The lease says $60.00 deposit and $240.00 refurbish fees, that's a fee they charge tenants to have the apartment cleaned and painted for the next tenant! I know it's against the law for them to keep my deposit for ';normal wear and tear'; but what about if they are classifying it as ';refurbish fee';? I'm really ticked that they kept my money, $240.00!!!! That's a lot of money and I shouldn't be responsible for the clean/paint, the owner should! I need legal advice about my landlord......please?
Unfortunately, in Georgia they are allowed to charge non-refundable cleaning fees. Since that's what you were told when you signed the lease and when you paid the fee, you have no right to the money.I need legal advice about my landlord......please?
What you can do about it will depend on what state you rented in. In Michigan, you can get it back. What state are you in?
If you signed a lease that said $240.00 refurbish fee then at the end of the lease they simply followed the agreed upon lease - you are out $240.00.
It's there way of keeping the money GO to a Free Legal clinc.
Hmmm... Getting back the $240.00 ';refurbish fee'; will be tough if you signed a lease saying that's what it was for, unless it wasn't written in anything you signed %26amp; could somehow show that the landlord failed to inform you. On the other hand, if it said anywhere in the lease or receipts or anything that you paid a $300.00 ';security deposit';, then I'd take the landlord to court for it. Either way you're entitled to at least $60.00, but depending on where you're at and how much filing fees would cost for court, it might just be better to move on.


Whatever you do, make sure you inform as many people as you can about what a jerk the landlord is. Not only will it prevent him from taking advantage of another, it will make you feel better calling him all kinds of names all day.


Good Luck!