How do I sue my landlord for not returning my deposit, and how much chance do I have of winning?
478753
You have a very good chance of winning.  Take him to small claims court.  The landlord has to prove damage to the apartment was caused by you.  Not only that, he has to return your security deposit with interest for the amount of time he held it.
304637
He cant prove it was you then.\nIf he sues he will have to sue all tenants at the time. Also if there was a deposit he can take the deposit but chances are the lawsuit will get thrown out of court.\n\nLook specifically in your contract to see if he retains any rights to file legal claims against you after the fact (some people have tricky contracts they write up) If not, then I wouldnt worry too much. Now im not a lawyer, nor do I play one on tv so this is solely my opinion.\n\nI would suggest telling him to shove it up his a**
892059
Once the case is dismissed, they cannot sue you again.  You should have a copy of your dismissal of the first case and then contact  your local agency that work with landlords and tenants.    They are very helpful and will support you in dealing with this matter.   Unless the former landlord is trying to sue you for something else.   No matter you need to appeal to your Landlord and Tenants Organization, they are in all the large cities.
974246
Although technically, the previous answers are right ( you should pay your rent because of your contract etc), I would advise that you hold on to that rent payment and don't pay him! \nHe sounds like a bit of a rogue, and if he is a crook you won't be seeing the whole amount of your deposit returned (typically landlords like him make up reasons such as cleaning bills, delapidation etc in order to retain your money) \nYou're moving out at the end of December anyway and he has no power to just 'throw you out', he'd have to get an eviction notice and go through certain legal proceedures. The chances of him taking you to court are very slim, he would only do this if he thought you had caused damage to the property, but it sounds as though the property wasn't completely legal anyway (basic rights are to have a corgi certificate, working appliances etc)\nSo, I say sod him!! Good luck x
444378
It depends on what state you live in. In some states, deposit must be returned or explanation must be given 2 weeks after you've moved out. Read your contract or call the landlord tenant agency in your state.
915152
OK,, you CAN go to small claims court and dispute the damage.\nHowever is 350$ REALLY worth it(keep in mind -- you will have to miss work, pay court fees, etc.)?\nIf it is go to your local small claims and file a claim.\nIf it is not do not do anything. \nDO not pay anything, let the landlord sue you if she Wants 119 so bad she can sue you.
153527
Go to the RRA... Renters Rights Association. They will handle it! They eat that kinda crap up... I know cuz I have been an apartment manager b4 and the owners where total asses... there was so many things i couldnt do after the tentants were promised things by the owners then went back on em... good luck
210069
i know what your going through.i went to court and  i did it pro-SE also,and i won,but they appealed,i lost the appeal,now I'm in  a higher court appealing that,,its hard  to  represent yourself,but it can be done...what state are you in? and what court?,small claims?i know in small claims court .if the defendant doesn't show,he looses.so if he didn't show,,,,,,how can he appeal the decision.it sounds odd to me,,all states are different on laws,,,you can look up tenant land lord laws at Anderson on line...
613744
Unfortunately, without having a copy of the lease you cannot sue him for deciding not to rent to you.  You have no proof that you and he had a contract (hard lesson learned).\n\nHe is, however, obligated to return your security deposit.  If he doesn't answer the next time you try to call him he doesn't answer, tell him you've contacted a lawyer and he'll be in touch about the return of your security deposit.  The talk of a lawyer alone should scare him into returning your money.  If that doesn't work, you may need to contact a lawyer for real.  You say you have a receipt proving you paid him the deposit, so he can't deny he owes you that money.  \n\nGood luck with everything and I hope you find another place soon.  Next time do not leave without a copy of the lease in your hand...
1113052
Let the potential landlord know your situation.  Also, they tend to look at the score only, not the actual report.\n\nWorse comes to worse, offer additional security deposit.
720110
It all depends on the contract that you signed.  Most of the time you get the deposit back in full if you do a good job cleaning and maintaining the place.  If you don't, they keep it to go toward your lack of maintenance.  If it's part of your contract that you do get your first month rent back, then you will (or should).  Check your copy of the contract to see for sure.  If it's not part of your contract to get your first month back, you probably shouldn't worry about getting the deposit back either because he kept it for this month's rent instead.  Again, review your contract.
865725
if you were evicted as a direct result of his inability to maintain his property-then yes you can sue him-but beware he may tell the courts that as you may not have reported the fault/s then he could not have known about them--now while all landlords have a legal obligation to periodically check their property to ensure they can accommodate tenants in a clean and safe environment-this may affect the outcome of your case-so get a good attourney (this is the law in the UK by the way-which i dare say is no different from the US). its all down to health and safety at the end of the day-good luck.
1038642
Name Of Landlord,                                      (date in top right corner)\n\nfor reasons previously discussed, i would like a refund of my rent immediately.  if i do not hear from you (by such and such a date), i will assume you prefer to take this matter to small claims court, and will be filing shortly.  please let me know if there might be an avenue you might not have discussed with me that could possibly settle our differences as this is a last resort.  \n\n                                              (Your Name)\n\n\nlittle colder body of letter:\n\n(replace first body of letter with this one if desired)\nI'd like to take this final opportunity to ask you for rent to be paid back to me for reasons already discussed.  in 24 hours if i do not hear from you or receive a check, i will be filing in small claims court as i believe you wrongfully (place reason here, could be reason such as "let living conditions become unacceptable", "harassed me previously", "maliciously took and kept things from my place of living" any of these are good reasons.) for this (or these) reasons, i wish to end our landlord tenant relationship and collect what i believe is mine.  please respond as soon as possible.\n\n\na lawyer is a much better person to talk to about this, as i am not responsible for any and all outcomes these letters might bring, good or bad.
851798
Sounds shady to me.  Definately take them to court.  I hope you have proof, though.  like a receipt from the post office, a bank statement showing your cancelled rent check, or something.  If you can prove that you sent it on time, and the post office lost it, i don't know if you are responsible or not.  Let a judge decide.  Then move if you aren't in a lease.
881602
He cannot evict you for this. It is A LAW that all sex offenders and sexual predators must register with the police department where they live. This information is public record. Anyone can go online, pull up the sex offenders for their area, and see photos of the people in addition to an overview of their offense/s and their status. You have not broken any laws by discussing a matter of public record with anyone else, and you surely have not violated your lease agreement, either.\n\nHOWEVER - do you really want to continue renting from this man? It may be a possibility that he will attempt to make your life uncomfortable if he perceives you as a thorn in his side (even though HE is the one who did something VERY wrong). When you look at the big picture, you may realize that it would be better to cut your losses and move on. \n\nI would suggest that, if you take this route, that you send your landlord a certified, return-receipt-requested letter, advising him that you are moving out on such&such date, and that he can use your security deposit for the last month's rent. In the letter, tell him that you are uncomfortable doing business with someone who has a background such as his. I highly doubt that he will attempt to hold you to the entire lease, but, if he threatens to take you to court, tell him to go right ahead. If he is stupid enough to actually do this, there isn't a judge in the world who would side with him - AS LONG AS YOU HAVE NOTIFIED HIM IN WRITING OF YOUR INTENTIONS AND WHY.\n\nMost important is to remember to send the letter certified, return receipt requested. It is the only thing a judge will accept as proof that the landlord was properly notified, and is well worth the buck or so that it costs.\n\nIf, for whatever reason you choose to stay there, I think you are going to have issues with this landlord. Just a hunch.
1130302
Send them a letter by certified mail.  Tell them that they haven't returned your security deposit in the time required by law and if they don't return it, in full, within the next 10 days you will file a lawsuit.
660686
I'm sorry to hear of your predicament.  One good thing is that your landlord cannot immediately evict you.  Contact different assistance providers in your area, including the government.  Good luck to you.