How annoying was that? My last landlord claimed some pretty indefensible justifications for keeping our deposit (among other things, $300 to “sweep and vacuum the attic”) but I’m not convinced that I’ll actually wind up ahead if I’m missing work to go to court.
It was during the pandemic, so the courtroom was a teleconference. For $300, it’s not worth the stress (unless you can also claim statutory/punitive damages). But it is worth knowing you’ve deprived a leech of committing theft, if that appeals to you.
Small claims court is not too hard and doesn’t require a lawyer, but do try to find some free legal advice before your court date. Housing issues usually have free legal advice in most jurisdictions.
I had to sue for my security deposit once. It’s very common in the US for landlords to fraudulently keep some or all of the security deposit.
How annoying was that? My last landlord claimed some pretty indefensible justifications for keeping our deposit (among other things, $300 to “sweep and vacuum the attic”) but I’m not convinced that I’ll actually wind up ahead if I’m missing work to go to court.
It was during the pandemic, so the courtroom was a teleconference. For $300, it’s not worth the stress (unless you can also claim statutory/punitive damages). But it is worth knowing you’ve deprived a leech of committing theft, if that appeals to you.
Small claims court is not too hard and doesn’t require a lawyer, but do try to find some free legal advice before your court date. Housing issues usually have free legal advice in most jurisdictions.