Tenant Faces 'Nitpicking' Inspection ： Fight to Get Deposit Back

Source: OT-Team(G),央视网

  Have you ever encountered a landlord's 'nitpicking' inspection when moving out? Chen did, and her story, shared on social media, has sparked widespread media attention.

  Ms. Chen from Shenzhen recently faced a challenging situation when her lease ended, and her landlord hired a professional inspector to meticulously examine the apartment she was vacating. Armed with a lamp, the inspector pointed out 70 to 80 alleged issues, including loose adhesive on cabinet sensor lights, paint damage on the walls, wall paint bubbling, loose baseboards, scratched outlet panels, and water pooling in the dry area of the bathroom.

  Chen disagreed with these findings and called the police, but the landlord refused to return her 18,000 yuan deposit and even demanded further compensation. On August 22, Chen reported that after the local community office intervened, she received a full refund of her deposit.

A Forensic-Level Inspection by the Landlord

  According to previous media reports, Chen began renting the apartment in August 2023, with a monthly rent of 9,000 yuan and a deposit of 18,000 yuan. The lease was for one year, and in May, she informed the landlord that she would not renew it.

  When Chen vacated the apartment on August 20, the landlord insisted that she restore the property to its original condition and brought in an inspector to scrutinize the apartment. The inspector meticulously noted every perceived flaw, marking about 70 to 80 spots with sticky notes and providing Chen with a detailed inspection report.

  Chen contested the findings, stating that many of the issues listed were the result of normal wear and tear, such as water pooling in the bathroom or debris in the drain, which she found unreasonable and felt were just "nitpicking."

  A community representative from the area said they were aware of the situation through the property management. They advised Chen to pursue legal action if the landlord refused mediation. However, on August 22, just as Chen was preparing to file a lawsuit, the Qingshuihe Street Office informed her that the landlord had agreed to return her deposit. "The community office had been mediating the entire time, and by the afternoon, I received the refund," Chen told reporters. She also expressed her gratitude to the street office and the local police on her social media accounts.

Deposit Disputes: A Common Concern for Urban Renters

  The anxiety over getting a deposit back has become a "psychological shadow" for many people renting in big cities. If a tenant causes damage to a rental property, the landlord has the legal right to seek compensation according to the law or the lease agreement. However, normal wear and tear should be considered the landlord's responsibility, not an excuse to extort money from the tenant.

  Properties inevitably age, and furniture and fixtures wear out with use—this is a natural physical process. Some landlords, however, take advantage of this by exaggerating normal depreciation as grounds for withholding deposits, which amounts to extortion and goes far beyond reasonable claims.

  For people renting in big cities, tactics like these not only infringe on their financial rights but also disrupt the stability of the rental market. Resolving such disputes requires the cooperation of community services, law enforcement, judicial mediation, and real estate agencies. There is a need for more accessible and cost-effective dispute resolution mechanisms to prevent "lamp inspections" from becoming a recurring issue and to ensure that tenants don't feel forced to seek justice only through online platforms.