After my husband and I got married, I moved from my apartment and into his home. I had given the landlord my thirty days’ notice, and requested I get my deposit back within thirty days of my vacating. They sent the housing manager over to inspect the apartment before I left, and I had the paperwork that said everything was in good condition. We were married for almost a year when I got a letter from that landlord. He was charging me for new carpeting for the apartment, and a new thermostat. He said he had to replace all the carpeting in the apartment, and I had broken the thermostat when trying to remove the lockbox. I had never been so happy to have pictures with dates. I still had the paperwork from the property manager. I had pictures of the floors when I moved in and when I moved out. I had pictures of a thermostat, without a lockbox, when I moved in and when I moved out. Everything was noted in pictures and in writing, that the apartment was in better shape when I left than when I moved in. I took the letter I received about my paying for carpeting and the thermostat, and the lawyer laughed. He asked if I was going to school to be a lawyer, and I said no. My husband laughed when he said I missed my calling, but I didn’t need to pay for the thermostat or the carpeting. I have never been happier to be anal about keeping paper trails.