Mary Landlady
384 Highbrow Court
Everyville, USA

Re: Deposit for 23 Foxhill Road, Everyville

Dear Ms. Landlady:

I moved out of the house at 23 Foxhill Road, Everyville on the 31st of November, 2005. On December 15 I received an itemization of the amounts you deducted from my deposit.

You deducted $500 for repainting the interior of the house because you said that there was dirt on the walls. You also deducted $200 for a professional cleaning service because you said that the kitchen stove and the refrigerator were dirty.

I moved into the house in July 1995. In the more than 10 years I lived in the house, the interior was never repainted. With normal wear and tear the interior paint of a house will have to be redone after 10 years. Since the fading and soiling of the paint is due to normal wear and tear and because 10 years is longer than any paint job can be expected to last, the cost of repainting is your responsibility. I demand the return of the $500 you have deducted from my deposit for this purpose.

I admit that the stove and the refrigerator were not as clean as when I moved into the house, but the amount of $200 is an unreasonable amount for cleaning them. You are only allowed to deduct the amount you paid for cleaning the parts of the house I left dirty. I demand that you give me evidence of the time needed to clean the stove and refrigerator and the hourly rate charged by the cleaner. You may deduct that amount from my deposit, but I demand that your return the rest of the $200 you withheld for cleaning costs.

If you do not return these amounts and evidence of the reasonable cost of cleaning the stove and refrigerator within 5 days of the date of this letter [or the date required by your state law, if that is later] I will take the matter to the small claims court.

Sincerely,
Tom Tenant