They charged me $1,900 in move-out fees. My apartment was spotless.

I spent the week before move-out doing things I'd read about online. Hired a professional cleaning service for $185. Bought spackle, touched up every single nail hole, sanded and spot-painted. Cleaned the oven with a kit. Wiped down every baseboard. Photographed every room on my way out, 90+ photos with timestamps.

The property manager did a walk-through with me. She said it looked good, initialed my move-out form, and told me to expect my deposit statement within 30 days.

The statement arrived on day 28. $1,900 in charges against my $1,400 deposit, meaning I owed them $500 more. The line items: "wall scuffs and marks, touch-up required: $400." I have dated photos of every wall taken the morning I left. No visible scuffs. "Carpet condition beyond normal wear: $350." The carpet was 6 years old when I moved in. I lived there 14 months. "Professional cleaning required: $600." I have the receipt from the cleaning company I hired. "Broken blinds in bedroom 2: $550." I have photos from the day I moved in showing those blinds were already broken and I'd noted it on my move-in checklist.

I sent a written dispute with copies of all documentation. They reduced it to $300 for "wall preparation" and said that was their final offer. I filed in Mecklenburg County Small Claims for the full deposit plus court costs. The judge asked to see my photos. Management showed up with a typed list and zero photos. I got my full deposit back plus $85 in court costs. The entire process took four months but it was worth it.