Landlord charging $300 to move furniture that's left

[sammom]

My son moved out on time, but left a couch, table, chair, mattress and junk that filled 3 trash bags.

Landlord charging me $100 for cleaning, which is fair, plus $50 for iron-shaped burn in carpet, which sounds high, but fair.

Also $300 for hauling out furniture and trash. Called other apartment complexes in town (Fayetteville, Arkansas) and they usually just take $50 out of the renter's deposit to cover the city's charge for taking it to the dump.

Manager has me over a barrell -- will send my bill to a collections agency which I believe will ruin my good credit rating.

I have disputed the $300 moving charge -- told him local movers quote is $135 for 2 men for 2 hours. He claims the charge is standard from their maintenance department and it's "not just moving, but disposal of furtniture is what is so expensive."

Humorous sidenote: This is the same maintenance department that used the toilet in my son's apartment the morning of the afternoon he moved in. Only way we knew was that it was substantial, and couldn't be flushed, since the water utility company had not turned on water yet.

Is $300 reasonable?

no, take them to small claims with other estimates

[sunlover]

Your mistake was leaving this stuff! I doubt you win a suit. The Landlord can likely produce the cost to move this misc stuff this might include labor etc. $300.00 might be cheap!

I have to agree with sunlover. He left a substantial amount of large items there. You can't just put those out for the trash. Labor for 2 maintenance men to haul it out, possibly a rental truck if they don't have one, costs to dump the load at the local landfill,... I can see the LL coming up with receipts to cover $300.

And $50 is about right to have a carpet guy come & cut out and parch the burn mark. Last time I had him out he cost me $65 to do this for a few small cigarette burns.

I agree 300 is reasonable, and could be more. The tenant should have paid somebody to do it if he didnt want the LL doing it.

[sammom]

Thanks for taking time to post. In answer to -- my son should have done it himself -- why yes of course you're right. He's learning. Baby steps. And it is certainly reasonable to charge him for moving it.

The question is -- is $300 a reasonable charge.

A reputable mover in the area says that he wouldn't charge more than $135 (2 men for 2 hours, including transportation) and the dump says the cost for this amount of furniture and trash would be $60-65.

Also, I called some managers of apartment complexes in town who said this happens often and they take $70-75 out of the kid's deposit.

Where do you live that 2 men for 2 hours only costs $135? How are these people still in business at such rock bottom prices?

You can call all over town if you like, but you're dealing with a particular landlord and these are his/her rules. Your son must have signed a lease of some sort, alerting him of such charges should a situation like this arise.

You are simply nitpicking at this point. Yes, $300 is MORE than reasonable. It's a drop in the bucket. Just pay it and be done with it. Trying to take the landlord to small claims court over something so trivial (incidentally, your son got this ball rolling by leaving a whole mess of stuff for someone else to clean up after him, much like his parent is doing now) you will be paying a lot more than $300. and you will have lost more money than you will have gained. You have no claim against this landlord. Pay up.

you can always try of course in small claims... if it's worth the time and energy for this

[sammom]

Originally Posted by Unregistered Where do you live that 2 men for 2 hours only costs $135? How are these people still in business at such rock bottom prices? You can call all over town if you like, but you're dealing with a particular landlord and these are his/her rules. Your son must have signed a lease of some sort, alerting him of such charges should a situation like this arise. You are simply nitpicking at this point. Yes, $300 is MORE than reasonable. It's a drop in the bucket. Just pay it and be done with it. Trying to take the landlord to small claims court over something so trivial (incidentally, your son got this ball rolling by leaving a whole mess of stuff for someone else to clean up after him, much like his parent is doing now) you will be paying a lot more than $300. and you will have lost more money than you will have gained. You have no claim against this landlord. Pay up.

Almost seems like you might be the landlord and that's why you have not identified yourself? hmmm....

The moving quote is from a local company that moves the chancellor of the university there in town and does all the Direct Buy moving, and has other regular commercial clients. He said it would take less than 2 hours, but the least he charges is for 2 hours. Each man is paid $30 per hour, and he tacked a $15 transportation fee onto it. This is Arkansas, not Washington, D.C.

The lease does not address this specifically -- just the usual stuff about how they can take repairs, damages, cleaning out of your deposit. That's why I wanted a real receipt.

I have no receipt except for one the manager handwrote. It lists the items moved and says $300. She could have put $500 or $100 and it would look the same, without anything to back it up.

I suspect they may have left the furniture there for the next renter, and that may be why they don't have better paperwork to show me. I have no problem with that. That's why I called around town to see what a reasonable charge should be. My son should still pay, even if the work is chosen not to be done, just like in the case of an accident, you have a choice to spend the insurance company's check on repairs or go on a cruise and drive a beat-up car in the meantime.

At this point, you're right -- $300 is a drop in the bucket. Now it is the principle of the thing. After talking with the Off-campus Connections office at the university, I realize that some local landlords try to take advantage of the students. And yes -- I can hear your protest even as I type this, Mr./Ms. Unregistered -- the college students try to take advantage of the landlords. You are indeed correct. My son is a pill for leaving the apartment in that condition. I'm not excusing that at all.

Thanks again for taking the time to post on this thread. I know I'm arguing with you, but I appreciate everyone's input and am taking it all in.

[sunlover]

The $300.00 may be the easy out for both parties. Heres why. If any belongings are left behind the Landlord can say you have not vacated! This means owed rent for time still a tenant! Sueing the &300.00 will be a no win suit as it wont be difficult to show how this costs $300.00. Lets look at this

. cost to store or dump stuff. (note Landlord may not be able to dump stuff legally since its not his stuff)
. Cost of manpower to move stuff
. Cost of truck plus gas


Have you ever looked into theose starving students moving group. They have a base fee close to this $300.00 No the tenants problem was leaving belongings behind.