Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in California

I switched my apartment in our complex, paid the new security deposit in full, manager said she'd give our old deposit back in full since they are gutting the entire unit, that we didn't even have to clean it, but we cleaned it very nice anyway. Now the new manager decided to keep both new and old security deposits combined as a new deposit.

She made us sign the new lease right before we move, and the security deposit section was blank. I filled up $700 by hand and returned it. Because that's what I was told the new security deposit would be, and that's what I'd paid 20 days earlier to secure the available apartment. However the "Security Deposit" section shows a figure of $1560, when we asked to have a copy of the agreement for our records.

This $1560 looks like the added amount of the current $700+ previous $860 combined,(interest of 10 year 9 months living in previous apartment excluded)

I have kept all emails from previous manager proving that she said the security deposit would be $700, and monthly pay $1385 and she would pay us our previous deposit back.

How to get my security deposit back, please advise the legal steps to do to recover my old deposit.

Thanks very much in advance for your time and help!


Asked on 12/08/13, 10:06 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Armen Tashjian Law Offices of Armen M. Tashjian

Write a letter to the new manager demanding the previous security deposit back. If you do nor get it within reasonable time take them to the small claims court. Also, check the contract carefully to see if there are other forged areas.

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Answered on 12/09/13, 9:55 am


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