Virginia – Landlord Keeping $5,000+ Of My Security Deposit For “damages.” Do I Have A Strong Case?

Hey y’all, I just moved out of a place in Virginia after 4 years and my property management company (Mo Wilson Properties) is trying to keep my whole security deposit AND bill me another $1,000. I’ve been reading up on Virginia landlord/tenant laws and a lot of what they’re charging me for doesn’t seem legal.

Here’s what they hit me with:

• Painting – $2,000. They said it was actually a $4,000 job but they’re “only” charging me half. All I had were nail holes (quarter-sized or smaller from shelves/TVs/photos) and normal stains/scuffs from living in a property/moving in/out. Lease even says “reasonable number of picture nails” are allowed. After 4 years, this seems like wear and tear. • Carpet – $1,000. I had it professionally cleaned and gave them proof as required. There are 2 damaged areas but nothing crazy. One is a 6x3 (beach spill) and the other is 1ft by a few inches. I am willing to take some responsibility but replacing the full house seems excessive. • Bathroom tile – $500. This came from when a built-in soap dish fell in 2022 and broke 2 tiles. I reported it back then, they never fixed it, and I patched it myself. Now they’re billing me for a full bathroom wall retile. The issue was that the soap dispenser fell in the middle of the night and it was mold behind it. They told me it was an “as-is” fix since it wasn’t damaged at the time of move in. This was months into my lease, maybe 7-8. Photos clearly show just 2 tiles and the surrounding ones that needed to be replaced. • Cleaning – $435. I literally had the house professionally cleaned days before I left. Their photos show small stuff like a press-on nail under the sink, soap scum, grease in the kitchen and stove grease stains. Feels like routine turnover, not damage. • Window screen – $200. I took one screen out to remove my outdoor camera. It wasn’t damaged and I left it by the window. My own photos/video prove that. • Bathroom caulking – $200. Caulk wears out naturally. Even if it needed re-doing, that’s like a $10 tube and maybe an hour of work, not $200. • “Removed items” – $150. They photographed random junk like a bar of soap, hanger, screws, a plastic 6 inch step stool. All of it could fit in one trash bag. $150 for that is wild. • Light bulbs – $125. Even if a couple were out, bulbs cost a couple bucks each. This should’ve been $10–20, not $125. 

So they took my whole deposit, and now want another $1k. I already sent them a detailed rebuttal and said I’d be willing to settle on small, actual costs (like the carpet damaged, actual damaged tiles, and a trash bag removal), but most of this is inflated and seems like their job as landlords.

My questions:

• Do VA judges usually require real receipts/invoices, or can a landlord just type up an “invoice” like they did? • Has anyone here in Virginia fought this kind of case before? Did you win? • Based on what I’ve laid out, do I have a decent shot if I take them to small claims? 

Appreciate any advice — I feel like they’re trying to take me for way more than what’s fair.

Location: Virginia