Damages due after moving out unreasonable?

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Hello, I have alot of questions regarding the list of damages I have just received. First of all, I lived in the apartment for 5yrs and 10mos with August being the last month that I paid. I paid $25. extra/month in rent for the washer/dryer unit the whole time.
On the third weekend in August I completed the cleaning and laid the keys on the counter with my new address handwritten on a note to the landlord. He had been randomly popping in when I was not home since the first of August changing locks on the back door, etc. and had left his tools on the counter the last time he had been there so I just left the keys and the note by his tools.
I just received a certified letter on October 7th stating what the damage charges were minus the damage deposit that I paid when I moved in. I guess I'm not sure what "normal wear and tear" for this long period of time means, but I'm thinking the replacement of anything should've taken into perspective the age of the items. The carpet had a few stains on it so he replaced it. This is a small 2 bedroom place and he is charging me $1,030 for purchase and installation of new carpet. Plus, the removal and disposal of old carpet $100. Also, $907.36 to replace the washer/dryer unit. He is also keeping the $300 damage deposit.
In Indiana there is a law that states that landlord has to give detailed damage report in 45 days. It states in his certified letter that I only have 1 week to respond. So, please tell me...is this an unreasonable amount to pay for damages or am I wrong?

Thanks in advance for your time.
 
Carpets are a frequent "bone of contention" between a landlord and a former tenant.

A carpet in a rental unit has a certain "life"; typically five to seven years (for tax deduction purposes). If the carpet was, say, five years old it had outlived its useful life and you would owe nothing for replacement costs (if the stains could not be removed).

The same is said for appliances. Was the washer/dryer new when you moved in? Were they still working when you moved out?

Gail
 
The carpet was not new...the washer/dryer unit was new. The washer/dryer unit stopped working 2 mos before I moved out. Should I be responsible? If so, for a brand new set or one about the same age as the one in the apartment?
 
Again, for tax purposes, appliances (stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer, etc.) in a residential rental setting have a 5 year "life" span. If you lived there for almost six years and had the washer/dryer there from the beginning, both of these items had "outlived" their lifespan and you would owe nothing for their replacement.

Depending on what type of tax program your landlord used, they likely took a depreciation every year on these appliances to reduce his/her overall taxes on rental income.

Gail
 
Just to let you know how this all turned out:
I sent a letter back refuting the charges using the information from this site...Then a few days before Christmas the landlord filed a small claims case against me asking for half the price that was in his first letter...finally went to court and fought it...he won what he was asking for without any receipts or pictures...at least I didn't have to pay full price for 6 year old carpet/appliances I guess?
 
Hmm... that's too bad. As you described the situation I would have expected you would owe nothing.
This may have had a lot to do with how prepared you were, and how well you refuted his claims.
You can still appeal it (if you are still within the 30 days of the judgment). Assuming this was small claims, the new trial would put the burden on you to explain why the first judgment is incorrect.
The dates you gave suggest that the landlord may have been over the 45 day limit to return your deposit... which means that you might have been entitled to your refund plus a penalty.
If you made the argument of normal wear and tear regarding the carpet the landlord would have had to show that the damage was beyond normal wear and tear... and that is hard to do without pictures.
You also should have been off the hook for the washer/dryer, assuming you reported it broken two months prior to moving out. This was part of your rent and the landlord should have repaired it or replaced it at that time.

If you can, consider going back and making a better argument. Sounds like you got hosed.
 
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