Pet Deposit return....

Factual Questions
1

Some of you may remember the thread I posted about my roommates dumping out on me in the middle of a lease. Well it’s been well over two months and as far as I know the landlady’s found new renters. She refuses to return calls from my one roommate and I got denied an apartment because I naievly put her down on the application and she told them we owed her $14,000 in back rent and damages. Of course when I called her about that she denied ever saying it and said that she wasn’t doing any sort of legal action. But anyway, that’s not what my question is about.

I had pets at the place, and I put down an extra $500 deposit on moving in because of them. She has told me that there were no damages done to the place (when I called her about what she said). I let it go at the time, but more and more I’m thinking I should get the pet deposit back. Since it’s in no way connected to the lease and only a precaution should my pets cause damage. No damage was done so I should get it back, right? It’s not noted anywhere in the lease about the conditions of that deposit.

So I guess my question is, in the state of California, am I entitled to the pet deposit back? And if it’s up in the air, how should I word it when I call her and ask for it?

2

Noone? Now I’m getting scared about calling her lest I piss her off more…and lest I really have nothing to stand on…

3

Did you get a receipt for the deposit?

4

I don’t know how it relates to your rent owed situation, but in 20 years of renting, I have never gotten a pet deposit back. They’ve always been “non refundable” (which isn’t really a deposit then, is it?) and are held to cover the cost of extra cleaning required (for example, spraying for fleas).

5

The one time I had to put a pet deposit down I got it back, but it was in the lease. I think since nothing is in writing, you may be out of luck. You could certainly at least ask, or, better yet, have a lawyer friend write a polite letter requesting it back on company letter head.

6

Even if you were due the pet deposit, you would still the owe the full amount for the entire rent. It would only deduct from what you owe.