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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Posts
    1

    Question Can My Roommate Deduct from My Deposit

    My question involves a roommate in the State of: Washington

    I sub-leased my old room about 4 months before our lease had ended and now that it's ended, my ex-roommate won't refund my part of the deposit.

    The landlord returned our entire deposit and one of my ex-roommates was given a single check although she removed nearly all of my portion ($580) for failing to show up to a "cleaning party". She told me about this via text and I said I wasn't feeling well so I coudn't attend although I came by later to finish cleaning and make sure my old room was clean. She took off $500 from only my deposit for cleaning fees (she and her friends cleaned) and dispersed it to herself, her friends, and one of our other roommates (at $20/hr).

    Is she legally able to divide my part of deposit like this? Without a formal agreement? Without me knowing? I thought only the landlord could do this.

    I cleaned my room as well as parts of the house when I moved out before the subletor moved in and I have pictures of the clean room.

    Note: the single check is part of the lease agreement. The agreement says the landlord gives back one check to the roommate and then they are to "proportion" this amount to the other roommates.

    She did not give me a receipt, only a breakdown of her math: basically 5 people at $20/hr for 5 hours.
    She just recently gave me her math breakdown.
    She didn't explain before-hand or give an estimate.
    This was just cleaning. no painting, no carpet-cleaning, no fixing, etc.
    I did not break the lease, I followed the subletting agreement and the landlord OK'd it.

    Basically:
    People came and cleaned. LL gave her a check with all our deposits at end of lease. She wrote herself/them checks.

    Help?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Can My Roommate Deduct from My Deposit

    all of the tenants names should have been on the check. LL screwed up by not doing this but anyway:

    sue the person that received the check and did not give you your share. If she wants to keep the money, or even part of it, she can file a counter claim but I do not see her entitled to keep any of it.

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