# Pet Deposit return.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 3, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304 "2006-09-03T17:57:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aunt\_Flow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Aunt\_Flow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aunt_Flow)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304/1 "2006-09-03T17:57:15Z")
Some of you may remember the thread I posted about [my roommates dumping out on me in the middle of a lease](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=376404). 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? ---
**Author:** ![Aunt\_Flow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Aunt\_Flow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aunt_Flow)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304/2 "2006-09-04T05:22:25Z")
Noone? Now I’m getting scared about calling her lest I piss her off more…and lest I really have nothing to stand on… ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304/3 "2006-09-04T05:25:56Z")
Did you get a receipt for the deposit? ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304/4 "2006-09-04T05:28:02Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304/5 "2006-09-04T05:56:26Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Eleusis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Eleusis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleusis)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2006, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pet-deposit-return/371304/6 "2006-09-04T06:52:58Z")
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.