residential-lease rent pennsylvania
Can landlord charge a fee to return security deposit by wire or mail?
<p>I am an international student living in Pennsylvania, USA for the semester. I had to pay a security deposit when I rented this property and now my landlord is saying that I must pay a "shipping" charge to receive my money. PA law states that the landlord must give back the security deposit within 30 days or provide reasons for why they are withholding the money.</p>

<p>The lease mentions no fee for returning the security deposit, but the landlord is demanding a fee of $75 for direct wire transfer and $125 for overnight courier service</p>

<p>Can my landlord charge a fee to return my security deposit?</p>

<p>This sounds improper if not expressly authorized by the lease, unless there is some option, for example, to send a check by ordinary mail or to have someone pick it up in person for you on your behalf, that is free. </p>

<p>Those prices are also a large markup over actual cost. This fact might invalidate even an express lease provision in a lease that imposed this fee because "penalties" that impose a flat dollar fee as a liquidated damage amount that are far in excess of an amount that can easily be determined exactly are void as against public policy.</p>

<p>On the other hand, the amount in dispute is probably not large enough to make it cost effective to hire a lawyer and you probably aren't practically in a position to take the case to small claims court. There are many cases in the law where someone has violated your legal rights but it is not practical economically to seek a remedy for that violation. (American football, incidentally, is the only game of which I am aware which is designed to give rise to many such situations, so perhaps this is a particularly American concept.)</p>
