BiggerPockets

Anybody can fight such a charge, right or wrong. Somebody will win, somebody will lose. Also, it could be totally fair. You don't give enough information to really understand this situation. So, read what I write understanding I'm not a lawyer in your area.

If the door damage occured while you were in the apartment, and is sufficient enought to require replacement, it is your responsibility, regardless of who actually did the damage. It wouldn't be considered either "normal wear and tear" or "An Act of God."

This is why there is renters insurance. It not only protects the tenant against loss of personal property, but damage to the property, too. It is also why landlords charge deposits against tenant damage.

If the damage existed prior to you moving in, you should have been able to list it in some kind of move-in inspection, gotten them to fix it, or at least show it was there when you moved in.

If the door was damaged to the point of needing replacement, then it should have been identified during the move out inspection, and if you were present, you wouldn't get a surprise when they send you the list of damages. Were you there? If nothing else, being at the inspections protects your interests, and the move-in, move-out reports are for the protection of tenants. It makes a record of the unit condition at the time of move-in/out. A bad front door is not something that would be discovered later, after the move out inspection.

If the door doesn't need replacement, and they are just charging you totally unfairly, contact any one of many tenant protection organizations (most likely a charity of some sort). They will often review and provide free legal advice, or even free representation if they agree with you. They may already know about your landlord if making unfair charges is a regular thing with them.

And one other thing. $700 is an awful lot to replace a front door unless this is an upscale rental. The landlord is obligated to charge reasonable amounts for needed repairs and not sock it to the tenant.

Don't really know which of these you would fall into, but, there are a lot of people who wrongly think they are not responsible just because "we didn't cause the damage."

If you keep asking, will you eventually hear the answer you want?

$700 might very well be the cost of replacing the door. A very plain steel front door is about $200 and most places have fancier doors than that. (I know, I just bought one 2 weeks ago)

The apartment owner is going to have to obtain a door that matches every other door in the building, and that might even be a special order.

Then there is the cost of the labor to remove the old door and fit the new door into the space.

A kick at the door when you've lost your keys only takes you a second, but it can take a couple of hours to remove and install a front door. (I know, I just replaced one.)

Then there is the time to pick the door up and the time and expense to haul the old door to the dump.

Next comes the cost for the matching paint and the painter to put it onto the door.

Again, in future, if you want your deposit back, take better care of the place you live in.

If you did not damage the door yourself, then your renter's insurance would have paid to repair it when the damage happened. Apparently, you did not call your insurance agent.