Q: Can landlord keep security deposit if we terminate early and they have found new tenants for the same month?
Foolishly my husband and I signed a one year lease agreement and a 2 hours later we ended up finding a home we wanted to purchase. Yes, we did it backwards and no I don't need a lecture on that! Upon letting the landlord know he said he would be keeping our $2100 security deposit (one month worth of rent and that was all we paid). Our lease was to begin on the 1st of July and we noticed he was able to rent the home out to other tenants (he did drop the price $150/mo) who signed a lease & moved in in the middle of the same month (July). Is the landlord required to return the prorated amount of our security deposit to us from the date they signed their lease to the end of the month? We obviously never moved in so there are no damages, repairs, etc.
A: Unpaid rent is one item that can be paid out of a security deposit. Costs of re-renting the premises are another. You can ask for some or all of your security deposit back given the circumstances. If you can't agree on an amount, I'd suggest speaking with a landlord tenant attorney about your options.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
