Landlord took part of my deposit for a dryer latch that wasn’t broken

Location: Seattle, Washington

I just moved out of a townhouse rental in Washington and my landlord withheld part of my deposit for a dryer door latch they claim didn’t work. For context, I am dealing with the property managers and not the landlord directly.

The problem is:

• The dryer latch always worked for me during my tenancy. You just had to lift/push slightly to close it, which I figured was just how it functioned.

• I used the dryer regularly with no issues. If it hadn’t worked, I absolutely would have reported it (I reported other issues like gas leaks and repairs during my lease).

• I was never contacted after move-out to ask if the dryer was functioning, and I wasn’t given a chance to demonstrate that it did latch.

• I don’t have photos or proof because I never thought to document a dryer latch that worked fine.

This dryer charge feels unfair and more like normal wear and tear than “damage.” I already tried to nicely resolve this via email and they won’t budge, claiming it’s because I didn’t report it at move out. I want to recover this amount they are withholding via small claims court or other means (they won’t budge by me asking nicely).

My questions:
– Under WA landlord-tenant law, does a slightly finicky latch that still works count as wear and tear?

• Is it worth filing in small claims court to recover this part of my deposit?

• Since I can’t prove it worked besides my word and history of reporting other issues, how would a judge likely view this?

• Should I wait until they refund the remainder of my deposit before filing?

• Is small claims court the way to go with this?

Any insight from lawyers or tenants who’ve dealt with this would be really appreciated. Thanks!