Q: I'm at the end of my lease, and the manager is now telling me she charges a "cleaning fee" of about $60 to each renter who departs. I think I'm only responsible if the place has other than normal wear and tear. Do I really have to pay this cleaning fee?
A: Review your lease agreement to see if it contains a provision for charging you a cleaning fee — something you initially agreed to but have forgotten about. If it doesn't, then you probably don't have to pay this fee, said Seattle attorney Ray Walters.
Walters notes, however, that the state's landlord-tenant act doesn't specifically address the issue of late-notice cleaning fees.
"I question the landlord's ability to charge a fee at the end of the tenancy without the tenant agreeing to it," Walters said. "In fact, I think the landlord would be foolish to lock himself into a $60 cleaning fee."
Why? Because that's all he could collect even if later he discovered that it cost him $150 to get your apartment thoroughly cleansed.
You are correct that you can be charged only for damage, not normal wear and tear. However, most leases also contain language requiring tenants to return the premises to move-in condition. In other words, if you got the place clean, you have to leave it clean.
For this reason, Walters says you may want to consider paying the $60 to have someone else clean and be done with it.
Lastly, if you don't agree to pay, can your landlord simply deduct the $60 from your move-in deposit?
Only if the two of you completed a written move-in checklist at the beginning of your tenancy that detailed the rental's condition. If you did, and you think the landlord is going to keep your cash, you can fight back by leaving the premises spotless and taking pictures to prove it. That's your ammunition if you must go to small-claims court to get your $60 back.
Q: I'm a teacher and hope that housing in Olympia, Tacoma or Seattle will be more affordable than Los Angeles, where I live now. How do Olympia home values compare to Seattle's? How do they compare to L.A.'s?
A: Here are the freshest statistics. In July the median price of a single-family Seattle home was $447,500, according to the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Median means half the properties sold for more, half sold for less.
The median for Tacoma houses was $241,475 — or 46 percent cheaper than Seattle's detached homes. The median is Olympia is $289,700.
Condominiums in all three cities cost less than detached houses. The biggest price spread is in Seattle, where the median price for condos sold last month was $299,500. That's 33 percent less than the city's single-family houses.
The Los Angeles/Westside Combined Multiple Listing Service, which has the latest L.A. sales statistics, did not respond to a request for information.
However, we can tell you that for all of California, the median price of single-family homes and condos combined is $547,000. That's higher than any city in this state.
Because you're a teacher, you'll also want to know that there are special home-loan programs designed for you. Information is available from the nonprofit Washington Homeownership Center at 800-317-2918or online at www.homeownership-wa.org.
Q: What documents should I expect to receive from the bank or county that prove I've paid off my mortgage and now have full ownership of my property?
A: When you buy a car, your lender holds its title until it's fully paid off, then sends the title to you. But that's not how it works with houses. You own yours from the start; county records list you as the owner. All the lender has is a recorded interest in the property allowing it to foreclose if you stop paying your mortgage.
Once your home is paid off, the lender executes a document called a "full reconveyance," which acknowledges that you've paid off your loan and the lender no longer has a recorded interest in the property. The lender then files this with your county recorder's office. Once done, it's official that the property is yours free and clear. Some lenders also send you confirmation, but it's not mandatory.
Home Forum answers readers' real-estate questions. Send questions to Home Forum, Seattle Times, P.O. Box 1845, Seattle, WA 98111, or call 206-464-8510 to leave a question on a recorded line. The e-mail address is erhodes@seattletimes.com. Sorry, no personal replies. More columns at www.seattletimes.com/columnists.
