A Pune tenant’s dispute over a security deposit has sparked a debate on Reddit over what landlords can legitimately deduct when a tenant moves out. The tenant alleged the landlord deducted ₹28,499 for painting and touch-ups, cleaning, a Kent RO, a geyser pipe and a drawer after a year and a half of tenancy.
The tenant questioned several of the deductions, particularly the ₹12,000 painting charge, ₹4,000 cleaning fee and ₹11,899 charged for the RO. According to the tenant, the RO had stopped working because its filter was no longer functional, while the apartment had not been deep-cleaned when the tenant moved in.
“He (the landlord) said since RO is not working (we bought new one because older one's filter is not working). He says I will buy new one cause it's kept for some time and might not work even after fix. 12000 for color and touchup (not sure what he is doing there are some cases where is is darker and all but nothing worth 12000. He didn't do deep cleaning when we entered apartment why we have to pay for it. But since he had the money so I had to take whatever I can. What are my option here otherwise he will get away from extortion,” the Reddit post read.
The post prompted a range of reactions from Reddit users, with some advising the tenant to fight the deductions if they had photographs, receipts and a rental agreement to support their case.
One Redditor said they had rented homes for 15 years across three major Indian cities and claimed landlords often tried to retain as much of the security deposit as possible, particularly under the guise of painting charges.
Interestingly, a landlord also weighed in, saying they had never charged tenants for routine painting or touch-ups, describing such costs as the landlord’s responsibility. They also questioned the ₹11,899 RO deduction and called the ₹300 geyser-pipe charge unreasonable, while agreeing that tenants could be liable for damage beyond normal wear and tear.
“I have a been a landlord for last 7 yrs and have never ever in my term charged for color and touchup. It has always been from my pocket. 4000 cleaning i can go buy but never charged myself. 300 gyser pipe is utter bullshit. If teapoy drawer was broken and not general wear and tear then i agree. 12000 for Kent RO is such a scam,” a Redditor commented.
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