Tenant deep-cleaned for 12 hours and sent a 40-minute video to protect her deposit — landlord pocketed $2,400 and then demanded $350 more

A landlord fished away with a tenant’s security deposit, saying they hadn't cleaned his New Jersey apartment before moving out. Despite the accusation, the tenant (u/2zebesstalker) explained they'd spent almost a day deep-cleaning the entire house. However, soon after they moved out, the tenant received an itemized deduction letter, accusing them of damaging the apartment and leaving it unclean. The landlord not only tried to withhold $2,400 of the security deposit, but he also demanded an additional $350. On September 28, 2026, the tenant elaborated on the entire episode, which has since received over 1,500 upvotes.

The accusation

The tenant had been living in their apartment for two years. They paid a $2,400 security deposit to the landlord — determined to get it back after moving out. But that changed when the tenant left. Before moving out, they hired a professional carpet cleaner and spent 12 hours deep cleaning the space. They even recorded a 40-minute walkthrough video documenting every nook and corner of the house. But about three weeks later, the tenant received a letter from the landlord, listing the itemized deductions.

The bill gets bigger

The landlord specified that he was not only withholding the entire security deposit but also demanding an additional $350. The deductions included $600 for “scuff marks” on the living room wall, $450 for "re-caulking the bathtub," and $120 to replace three standard LED lightbulbs that were working when the keys were handed over to them. The tenant was shocked but remembered the video they'd recorded as evidence. In response to the accusation, they sent the landlord the video showing the functioning lights. The drama, however, didn't end there. 

"He replied that 'cleaning standards are at the owner's discretion' and threatened to send the remaining $350 balance to collections if I don't pay within seven days," the tenant explained. But they said they know that according to New Jersey’s Security Deposit Law cited by Hemlane, a landlord can’t deduct money for normal wear and tear, including minor scuffs, small nail holes, faded paint, and worn carpet.

A deposit dilemma

A landlord cannot pocket money unless the damage is clearly demonstrable and beyond normal wear and tear. Desert Wide Properties Group also suggests that the landlord (in the post) is unethically pocketing money. Fortunately, the tenant refused to bow down and "drafted the small claims filing for bad faith deduction and double damages," to seek help legally. However, sadly, the situation repeats in more than half of the situations. In fact, according to a Zillow survey, only 2 in 5 (43%) renters received their entire security deposit back, and surprisingly, 22% said they received nothing. Notably, the survey found that renters of color were more likely to not get their deposit back than white renters (26% vs.18%). 

'It’s straight-up theft.'

Most Reddit readers sided with the tenant and encouraged them to stay consistent in their court claim because they might end up winning double or maybe triple their deposit from the landlord. For example, u/9CloudStrife explained, “This is as open and shut as it gets in real estate disputes. Standard wear and tear is fully protected by New Jersey law, and charging 120 dollars for functional bulbs while threatening collections is pure extortion. Make sure you file for a bad faith deduction so the judge forces him to pay double as a lesson.” Sharing a similar experience, u/Suspicious-gas-1685 said, “In all my years of renting, only one landlord returned my deposit in full.­”

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