I just moved out of my apartment in Chicago after three years, and my landlord is trying to keep half of my security deposit for "professional deep cleaning." I spent two full days scrubbing that place top to bottom before handing over the keys. When I asked for an itemized list, they sent me a blurry photo of a tiny bit of dust on top of a ceiling fan blade and some "streaks" on the inside of the microwave. They’re claiming this requires a $500 cleaning fee because it makes the unit "unrentable" in its current state.
Does this actually fall under "normal wear and tear," or am I being scammed? I have photos and videos of the entire place from the day I left showing it was spotless, but the landlord is ghosting my emails now that I’ve challenged the charge. What are my next steps to get my full deposit back? I’m worried that if I don't act fast, they'll just stop responding entirely.
Location: Chicago