Our Previous Property Manager Is Withholding Our Entire Security Deposit While Adding More Charges, Including A $75 Toilet Flapper

Bless you if you read through this mess and have some words of advice because I’m going through hell with our previous property management. I have a binder full of evidence, timelines, emails, everything. I just want to be prepared and get an idea of what I’m about to walk into. Any advice is appreciated.

They are withholding our entire security deposit and initially claimed that we owed an additional $535 for move-out charges. We disputed those deductions, and since then some of the charges on the original contractor invoice have been removed/revised due to insufficient supporting evidence. I also have questions about the 45-day security-deposit requirements under Virginia Code §55.1-1226. The 45-day deadline was September 14, 2026. My property management says that the disposition was placed in a USPS collection box on September 14(literally the 45th day, telling me this on day 46 when I called asking about where it is) However they have stated in writing that they have no USPS acceptance record, mailing receipt, or other postal documentation establishing when USPS received it. We got the disposition a week later, and it has a USPS processing mark dated September 18, 2026.

Our lease stated we needed to have the home professionally cleaned and leave the receipt at move-out, which we did and have evidence documenting it. I was hit with ANOTHER cleaning bill from the property management that was done A MONTH after we surrendered property because “the cleaning wasn’t done properly so we had to send our cleaners” but here’s the wild part, THEY HIRED THE SAME CLEANING COMPANY I DID. I’ve contacted that company and have written confirmation from them that my house was clean, and that they will take requests to clean a house even if the house is clean. They also told me that my property management never contacted them about any complaints regarding the cleaning I scheduled.

They are also charging me $1400 to PAINT THE ENTIRE HOME. They claim it’s because the color match touch up paint we received from Lowe’s didn’t match, and the VERY small damage from our security camera we had in the living room. They sent me only like 3 photos of the small parts we touched up showing it wasn’t a EXACT match, therefore they had to repaint the entire effing house.

Now that I am questioning them, I’m getting threats from them about carpet damage counterclaims that were not included in the original disposition, and the documentation they gave me showing a quote for damage for the carpet is dated before they sent me the disposition, so they knew about it already. The cleaning company charge was also not included in the original disposition sent.

I’ve received a move out inspection that was done by them within 72 hours of us moving out, it doesn’t mention anything about wall damage, carpet damage, or anything major. Just small things like damage to the blinds(which I’ve acknowledged). Then I get hit with a heavy invoice from some contractor with all these other charges that was done weeks after I surrendered property. I tried calling the contractor and the phone is a dead line. After doing research…. I traced the dead line to a phone number that was previously owned by my property managements company

I have emails of me repeatedly trying to reach out and receive documentation supporting their charges, and to just have someone call me back. The only responses I got back were basically “we won’t change our mind” then they cite something irrelevant from the lease to use big words or something idk lol.

Then there’s the random $75 dollar charge for a toilet flapper.

They now have emailed me basically telling me they aren’t ever going to speak to me again.

Location: VA