Dispute on Appliance Ownership

I don’t understand. It’s in the lease agreement so why is the landlord acting like he just forgot about it? In the first place, it was the landlord who initiated that lease agreement and even if he did not create it, he should be aware of all the provisions.

The issue on the security deposit and the appliance should be taken differently. If there are repairs that need to be done then that would be taken against your security deposit, not on the price of the appliance. But then again, if it were me, I’d say I’d just leave the appliance and get my full security deposit granted that the value of the appliance does not exceed the repairs down. Anyway, appliances depreciate over time so they’ll soon lose value.

I would suggest that in cases like these, the tenant should immediately write the landlord and highlight a part of the lease agreement that determines appliance ownership. Make sure to mail this so you would have proof that it was sent and received by your landlord.

If this were my landlord, I’d sue them in a small claims court. Not only are they breaching the lease agreement, they are also trying to trick me out of my money.

The breach agreement is legally binding so in that area alone, the landlord will not have a stand in court.

Well, if you get an offer for the appliances and it sounds reasonable, you can just sell them to the landlord. Anyway, this will also save you from having to move the things from one place to another. Anyway, your new apartment may have them so there’s no need to double. You may not be getting the exact amount because the value of appliances depreciate over time and depending on use but just make sure you hit a reasonable offer.

You know what, there is something that you can do to tip the scale in your favor. If you have a lawyer friend, you can ask him to create a formal letter in your behalf. If that’s not an option for you, there is a cheaper alternative and that is by going with some mediator companies who could step in and try to find a resolution to your problem.

Did the landlord send a written note that the appliances will be used in place of the security deposit? Did you get a copy of this? If you didn’t, then as per state laws and your lease agreement, you are due the full amount of your security deposit.’

Sounds like a smart landlord to me.

This should be a lesson learned. Next time, make sure to have every receipt signed by your landlord so that in case of disputes like this, you have proof that you’ve already talked about this.