Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Missouri

Re: tennants regulations for security deposits return

Under Massachusetts law, where I practice landlord / tenant law,

short of having had cats peeing (which seems to occur frequently)

or dogs pooping (one case I had) or something else extraordinary, you

would not have to pay for a carpet cleaning. The phrase "normal wear

and tear excluded" is in our security deposit law in the statutes

(and it may be in your state's statutory security deposit law) and in

practice in our courts doesn't allow landlords to deduct for the

carpet cleaning. Also, in our wonderful state, if a landlord pulls a

stunt like that and doesn't return the deposit 30 days after you've

left, we get to sue for triple damages (3 times the amount not refunded)

PLUS (the part that IIIIII like!) attorney's fees and it's the closest

thing to a rubber stamp; courts order payment of it without a second

thought. Landlords are responsible to know the law and to behave well

and this is a consumer protection device. Especially where someone is

moving out and possibly leaving the area, it becomes hard for them to fight

a landlord and the temptation to the landlords is to keep the money. That's

why it is so strictly enforced. Some landlords figure the

tenants have moved away, can't fight it, won't fight it (timid women!),

don't even know what the law is,

etc., and figure it's worth a shot for them to attempt to rip off the ex-tenant.

Send me my usual percentage fee when you get your money back, will ya?

Seriously, though, you OUGHT to check Missouri laws since they might be different on

this point and shouldn't take my information as advice because I could be wrong and ...

probably am ... in Missouri!

Are you in St. Louis?