No written agreement, landlord wants money.

[ponder46]

I moved into a trailer home about two years ago, and recently moved out. The landlord was a "friend" of mine and I was to live there rent free. There was no written agreement/lease/whatever.

She emailed me recently and claimed that I owed her money for the cost of cleaning the house, replacing the carpets, and the linoleum. The state of the house when I moved in was...bad. It was around 30 years old and an older woman who had a hoarding problem was the previous owner (deceased). To my knowledge, the carpet/lineoleum had never been cleaned/replaced prior to my moving in. The landlord also claims to have pictures of the state of the home. She threatened legal action against me.

Does she have any grounds for this? This is in TX.

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

Very likely so. Your landlord/friend was quite generous to allow you to live there for free. It would seem only right to help her with the cost of cleaning the house you lived in rent free including replacing the carpets and the linoleum.

It is unlikely that the cost of doing this would equate the cost of rent for two years.

And yes, she can sue you for damages to this property.

Gail

 

[ponder46]

But if the property was in bad condition when I moved in, how can she rightfully charge me?

 

[ponder46]

I'd like to add; I'd be willing to pay for any damages, cleaning, etc. that I caused while I was living there, but how can she discern what was from me and what was from the prior landlord (who was her mother)?

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

Look at it this way; if she takes you to court for these damages, how are you going to prove that you didn't cause these? Did you take pictures of the place when you moved in to show the condition at that time?

If not and she has pictures of what it now looks like, it is quite likely the court will rule in her favor.

Gail