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Dear Dr. Dot-Connector,
Recently, I moved out of my apartment after living there for 8 years. Although I was in the middle of a two year lease, my landlord and his partner (the owner of the property) said I could leave without penalty because they were going to sell the property anyway. When I originally moved in, the unit had a bed and an air conditioner. My landlord asked me to throw them both out when I left so the unit would be completely empty, and I followed his instructions. Now, the landlord and the owner are saying that I broke my lease and threw out furniture that belonged to them, and that they’re going to take it out of my security deposit. I don’t have anything in writing, so it’s my word against theirs. What should I do?
-Irate Renter
Irate Renter,
There are times when the right thing to do is to rally your troops, march up the hill, and go do battle in the name of all that is right. This is not one of those times. You’re in a difficult position and your landlord, no matter how unjust it may seem, has the upper hand. If you start a fight, you’ll most likely lose, and the aggravation and stress will affect you a lot more than it will affect them. It’s not worth it. Your best bet is to keep the channels of communication open, stay positive, negotiate if possible, and try to learn from the experience.
Chances are, they’re going to come back to you with a number they feel represents what you owe them. See if you can bargain with them. You can’t bargain if you’ve lost your cool, so you have to stay level headed and even-toned. Make it clear that you feel really bad about the miscommunication over the bed and air conditioner, and that you understand if they need to retain part of your security deposit. Ask if they’d be willing to take a bit less than the number they give you. If they say $500, suggest $300, and see what they say. They may or may not accept your counter-offer, but the point is that when you make a counter-offer, you’re turning the process into a dialogue, while at the same time acknowledging their position in the matter. You have to look at them not as enemies trying to rob you, but as people acting reasonably according to their perspective. Remember, when it comes to money, people don’t see clearly. Where money is involved, our view of reality becomes skewed. Yours, mine, theirs…everybody’s. That’s why it helps to put an agreement into writing, which I’m sure is a lesson you’ll take forward from this experience! Good luck, Renter!
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