De Stefano v. Apartments Downtown, Inc.

After Tenants moved out of an apartment, Landlord withheld the rental deposit for an automatic carpet-cleaning charge, replacement of a damaged door, and monthly penalties for failure to pay for the door. Tenant sued in small claims court alleging that Landlord improperly failed to return the rental deposit. The magistrate held for Tenant on most issues and awarded damages. The district court upheld some but not all of the magistrate’s decision, concluding (1) Landlord could charge Tenant for the replacement of the exterior door; (2) Tenant was liable to Landlord for rent during two months when the premises was vacant; but (3) Landlord’s automatic deduction from the rental deposit for carpet cleaning violated the Iowa Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (IURLTA). The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part, holding (1) the district court correctly found in favor of Tenant on the issue of cleaning costs; (2) the district court erred in ruling against Tenant on the issue of liability for the door repair and on the claim for damages for failure to permit Tenants from subleasing the apartment; and (3) the district court erred in awarding punitive damages under IURLTA. View "De Stefano v. Apartments Downtown, Inc." on Justia Law