Are we responsible for damages

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Are we responsible for damages

We just recently moved out of a rental house. The landlord gave back a portion of the deposit to fix some minor damages. New Link Destination
day he is saying there is water damage on the counter and the stove needs repairs. We never had any issues with this. Are we responsible for the repairs since he gave back the deposit and we signed a form approving the amount we received back. Also, rent was always paid in cash.

Asked on December 1, 2017 under Real Estate Law, North Carolina

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

Unless *they* signed an agreement or form stating that they would not sue you for any later- or after-discovered damage, the fact that they returned part of the security deposit or that you signed off on that amount does not prevent them from going after any damage they subsequently discovered that you did. You are liable for any damage, other than normal wear-and-tear, you did to the premises, whether it was found immediately or later. The only real issue is whether you did in fact cause the damage or not; if you did, you can be held liable for it, and if you do not pay voluntarily, you could be sued for it.


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