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Timeline for homeowner to fix damages taken out of deposit?

I moved out of a rental property in California, during the pre-walk through inspection I was told that the Property Management Group didn't know if the Owner would want to fix some damage to two planks in the Master Bedroom floor. They never got back to me, and 21 days after I moved out, I received the itemized list of things taken out of my Security Deposit. One was for the refinishing of the wood floors in the M. Bedroom. The only thing with it was an e-mail from a company with an estimate for the job. I called the P.M.G., and they said there was still time to get my own estimate. I drove by the house and there is already other tenants living in the house. I called them back, and they said that they are not going to fix it till later, when the homeowner decides they are ready to move back into the house. How long do they have to fix the damage, when I have already paid for it? And can they charge me for refinishing the whole floor, when the only damage done to it was to two planks?

Public Comments

1. Josh, that's a really good question. Technically, damage IS damage, and the owner is entitled to appropriate damage compensation whether he ever has the floor fixed or not. I'm more concerned that you're being gouged for unnecessary repairs. I would demand an itemized estimate detailing the scope of the job. The cost for fixing 2 planks versus refinishing an entire floor seems fishy!! But, then again...what kind of damage was done to these two planks?
2. Yes they can charge you for the entire floor. If the lot that that the wood for that floor is no longer available, the owner isn't obligated to mismatch areas of his floor, even if the grain/color differences are very subtle. If floor in question was engineered hardwood, there's no question about it as individual boards can't be torn up without affecting the boards around them.