Q: Can my landlord charge me to move next door for her convenience? She wants to deduct cost of move from security deposit
I also I had camera equipment lost or stolen during the next door move. Can I recover the replacement value of the equipment? Am I entitled to the refund of my security deposit plus interest in Virginia? Also, the former landlord has told my new landlord that I owe her for the move and wants the new landlord to collect.
The move was so her daughter could live in the original rental. I have text messages from the original landlord that she was going to pay for the movers.
A: There is no specific provision in the Virginia Code that addresses a request from the landlord to the tenant to move from one premises to another. However, generally, there are some residential leases in Virginia that allow for a landlord requesting a tenant to move from one rental unit to another which the same landlord owns. If you already moved, which it appears to be, you have acquiesced in the former landlord's request. As to the question about the lost or stolen camera equipment, you would need to have proof of who was the culprit/thief in order to make a claim and more importantly to be successful in achieving that claim. As to the interest on a security deposit, the Virginia Code does not require interest to be applied to a security deposit but if the lease provided for interest on the security deposit, then you have a contractual right to interest. As to your former landlord notifying your current landlord that you owe the former landlord for the move, such a charge must be based on a written agreement so if there is no written agreement, the former landlord has no right to make the claim based on a contractual agreement. You should seek formal advice of an attorney.
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