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Turns out my landlord's "free" paint touch-up kit cost me $60 in fines
So I found a clause in my lease I'd never read before, buried on page 14 of the renewal packet. It says any paint touch-ups using non-matching colors get a $50 charge plus a $10 inspection fee. My landlord gave me a tiny sample jar of "wall color" that dried two shades darker than my actual wall after I patched a hole from a picture frame. I figured free paint meant no worries, but when I moved out last month in Columbus, they dinged me for the mismatch. I looked at the city's tenant rights guide online and it says landlords can charge for damages but not for normal wear, and my patch was pretty average. The surprising part is how many renters don't read the paint clause, my neighbor lost $75 on the same thing. Has anyone else got hit with a hidden paint fee even though they used the landlord's own supplies?
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martin.riley1mo ago
Yeah, that "inspection fee" part got me too. I had a landlord try the same thing back in 2021, but I fought it by taking photos right after I patched and again at move-out, plus I kept the empty paint jar they gave me. I sent them a copy of the city code that says you can't charge for normal wear and told them I'd dispute it with the rental board if they didn't drop the fee. They caved in two days and refunded the whole thing. The trick is to never pay it upfront, just ask for an itemized bill and a written explanation of why the patch isn't normal wear. If they can't give you that, they usually back off. Also, I started photographing every wall in every place I rent now, before I even put a nail in the wall.
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