Virginia landlord keeping $1400 deposit for a 1-year lease

Location: Virginia

Moved into a townhouse last May by myself. No pets, no kids. It was in okay condition, the carpet was pretty gross so I cleaned it myself and got a ton of dirt and grime out. Mice became a problem right away (within the first two months) and I had email correspondence with the original owners about that.

With about 5 months left on the lease, a new management company took over all of the properties.

Firstly, the lease stated it ended on May 31. As we got closer to that day, the company began stating that my last day was on the 30th. I pointed to the lease and said “no, the 31st”. They kept badgering and bullying me about needing to be out by the 30th so they can clean, because they were closed on the weekend (?? Not my problem). They auto-charged me for 30 days in May, but later came back and said “hey, for some reason we are missing the rent for the 31st!” So I paid for that last, prorated day of rent.

I moved out (I left the place in broom-swept condition – no trash or belongings left behind) and didn’t really hear from them until July 15th. I got an email stating that I would be receiving back about $300 from my $1700 deposit. That shocked me – I figured they might keep some of it, but not $1400!

After receiving that email, I emailed back to say that I needed documentation and receipts to support these charges. Here’s what my property manager sent me : “To clarify, under Virginia law, landlords are required to send an itemized list of deductions and any remaining security deposit within 45 days of the end of the lease or when the property is vacated, whichever is later. In your case, the lease ended on May 31, so today, July 15, is still within that required timeframe.

Regarding the condition of the property, our move-out inspection noted 36 items requiring attention, including damage to blinds, a broken window screen, carpet damage, multiple wall repairs, and holes that went beyond normal wear and tear. These issues were thoroughly documented, and you will receive the itemized list with any supporting invoices or photographs as part of your final deposit disposition.

As outlined in your lease, tenants are responsible for damages beyond normal wear and tear. Charges for patching and repainting damaged walls, replacing broken fixtures, and addressing carpet damage fall within this category. Your lease also states that a minimum charge of $500 is required for cleaning.

We understand this may be disappointing, but please know that we are following both state law and the terms of your lease agreement. The charges will remain as stated, and the remaining balance of your security deposit will be processed accordingly.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out.”

We didn’t technically do a final walkthrough (I know, I know) because of the whole fiasco about what day my lease actually ended.

Anyways, I find this extremely unfair as I kept really good care of this property, I only lived here for 1 year, and I think they’re trying to strong-arm me like they did with the move out date. Do I have any recourse here?