My landlord tried to keep my whole security deposit over a tiny carpet stain

I moved out of a place in Wicker Park last month and got a letter saying they were keeping my full $1200 deposit for a 2 inch stain near the window. I looked up Chicago's security deposit laws and found out they have to give you an itemized list of deductions within 30 days or they owe you double. Has anyone else fought their landlord over this and actually won in small claims court?

3 comments

3 Comments

ivan_harris8d ago

$1200 for a two inch stain sounds like a good deal to me since they could have charged you for a full carpet replacement instead.

the_viola8d ago

Yeah exactly, that's what I was thinking too. People don't realize how much work goes into matching the dye and blending it so it doesn't look patched. Most companies would just quote a full replacement because it's easier for them. The labor alone for spot repair is way more than people think since you gotta be super careful not to mess up the whole carpet. And if they did a full replacement you'd be out way more than $1200 plus dealing with new carpet smell and all that.

felixm298d ago

My $800 deposit got jacked over a floor scratch that was already there when I moved in. I took them to small claims in Cook County and won $1600 plus court costs because they missed the 30 day itemized list deadline. Just make sure you have your move-in photos and the check-in checklist handy, that saved my ass.

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