Today, I found out that I spent 3 whole days cleaning my apartment thoroughly and paid $100 to get my carpet professional cleaned to not get my $950 deposit back because the carpet smells like dog. I don't have a dog. FML
Collection
Halloween
A failed costume, stolen candy and a very real scare: Halloween, the one night when fear is allowed.
Today, I spent all day cleaning the carpets in every room. I own two dogs and a cat, so deodorizing and deep cleaning the carpets is an all-day chore. At 9 p.m., after I was done with the last room, I went out to the living room and saw one of my dogs had been sick all over the place. Had to reclean the carpet. FML
Today, I was able to land a nice apartment solely based on the fact that my puppy is potty trained. During the required pet interview, my dog 'got sick' and defecated all over the apartment office. I now have to clean the mess knowing that I will not be allowed to live there. FML
Today, I finally broke down and paid someone to clean my condo. Sometime after she finished, my cat threw up. Then my roomba went off, smearing regurgitated mackerel all over the freshly washed floors. There goes $150. FML
Today, I got up at 5am, brushed my teeth, shaved and showered to get ready for work only to step barefoot in a huge pile of dog crap in the middle of my living room floor. I don't own a dog. FML
Today, a downstairs neighbor of mine claimed money from me because apparently my dog took a dump on the fire escape, and the poop fell through the grates and on her groceries. I don't have a dog, but I paid the money anyway, because I was too ashamed to tell her it was my husband. FML
Today, I was at my summer babysitting job. The family's dog puked on the carpet and I proceeded to clean it up with baking soda and a mix of water/vinegar. Instead of blending in with the other areas of the carpet, the one spot I cleaned is white while the other areas are still darkened by filth. FML
Today, after spending two weeks renovating my room and $1000 on paint and a new floor, my landlord told me that he's sold the house. Also, he was kind enough to inform me that unless I paint the walls back to white, I won't be getting my $500 deposit back. FML
Today, I came home after a two week vacation to find that my wonderful dog had pooped and peed all over my room. My mother was kind enough to dog-sit; however, instead of helping me by cleaning up the horrid mess, she just left me coupons for Glade plug-in air fresheners. FML
Today, I cleaned my entire apartment hoping to find the source of the terrible odor I've been smelling for the past week. It's me. FML
Today, after a month of living in a pigsty of an apartment with my roommates, I spent the day cleaning the place out. When everyone returned home, instead of thanking me, all they could do was point out the spots I'd missed. FML
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Top comments
Dat_Class_Tho 26
They are keeping the WHOLE deposit because of the carpet? I'd check the fair housing/rental guidelines for your state to see if they can do that legally. In California, they can only keep enough of the deposit to fix whatever you messed up. For instance: if they have to spend $200 on a heavy duty carpet cleaning company with special deodorizing treatments, they would keep that amount and you'd get $750 back.
RichardPencil 32
By the process of elimination, you, my friend, must smell like a dog.
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Comments (39)
cupcakebruh 21
A similar thing happened to us. We rented a house for a year, and the entire time we lived there our landlord was a complete ass. We had around $1200 deposit that we didn't get a cent back from. He said we ruined the hardwood floors, even though when we moved in, you could tell that carpet was just pulled up because there were still staples in the floor. And then he charged us for ruining the carpet in the basement that WE put in.. He also said there were scratch marks on the walls from our cat, but our cat is declawed..
sparky82 11
I once got charged a $300 carpet cleaning fee when moving out of an apartment but found out from my neighbors/friends who still lived there that the property management company had torn out the (20 year old) carpet and replaced it. Contacted them and got my money back.
SherbetGlitter 26
The professional cleaning could also have pulled up dog hair/smell from deep inside the carpet if people who used to live there had dogs and didn't clean the carpets properly. I second the opinion that you should check your agreement and the law, they should only be allowed to keep the amount it costs to clean the carpets.
logicalliv 9
Ugh, I agree with others who say go to a lawyer, or fight him. You have a receipt for cleaning, that shoudl be sufficient. His opinion of how the apartment smells isn't enough to keep $950. All the comments here show how important it is to go over everythign in a new apartment with a fine-tooth comb, document it, and get the landlord to sign off on it when you move in. keep a copy of the sign off. then you can't be charged for problems that were already there. Plus, if the landlord knows you've documented everything, chances are they'll think twice about trying to keep your deposit, if they know you're going to fight them for it.
the_bammit 5
I am unable to imagine what it must have smelled like before the cleaning. I could also see someone smelling a little dogish. Question: Are there dogs on the shampoo you use? I've got some interesting info on that.
sabias5 1
Contest it. If you did everything you're supposed to (got it cleaned) then they can't keep your whole deposit. If they claim it's not clean "enough" you need to take it up with the carpet cleaning company. They need to justify *why* they're keeping the money. It's not going to cost them 950 to get the carpet cleaned. A lot of landlords try this on with people they think look gullible enough to accept it. Every house I've moved out of has tried to keep my deposit. Once I contested it, and produced receipts etc, they *had* to give it back. One landlord I had to threaten with going to the residential tenancy authority. But I got it back.
jlperry31 10
If u are going to shampoo ur carpet before moving out. Never do it the day. Score. Allow a week for the smells in the carpet to die down. May not even be your smells, Ut the shampooing will bring the smells out.
criley221 19
The company you used to clean your carpets apparently has a lot of customers with dogs. I would get your money back from said cleaning company first! Explain it to the landlord and they may be able to cut you a deal. $950 for carpet cleaning is waaay off base!
gshpigboy 13
STL! Represent!