Didn't sign new lease, moved out... can we get our security deposit?

The basic story:

* The landlord of our Carroll Gardens rental raised the rent $200 every year for three years in a row. He told us that was market rate.
* He sent us the latest lease renewal with another increase in December. We never signed it. (We did, however, pay the raised rent.)
* In April, we found a new place. We told him we were moving out with less than 30 days notice. He was OK with that, since as soon as we moved out he apparently renovated the tiny kitchen and asked for a rent that was $1,000 more per month.
* He told us several times in writing that we would get our deposit back.
* The apartment was in excellent condition and I took photographs
* Three months later, after several reminders, he is saying that he will not be sending our deposits to us, as we did not give him 30 days notice and he has yet to rent the apartment. (Presumably because he is asking for a ludicrous amount.)

My question is, if we never signed the new lease, would we still be held to the 30 days notice clause? And does his previously stated intention to pay help us at all? I know you can’t give us legal advice — just wondering if anyone has experience in these matters.

jackien2

in Real Estate - Rentals 9 years and 9 months ago

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jay | 9 years and 9 months ago

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Since your landlord gave you the assurances in writing, you will likely get your money back. The landlord can’t have it both ways – agree for you to leave so he could increase the rent (which is why he agreed to return the security deposit in the first place) and keep your security deposit once he gambled and could not find a new tenant. Essentially, his written email/letter/agreement supersedes the original lease agreement.

snowman2 | 9 years and 9 months ago

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It is absolutely not true that the tenant always gets the security deposit back in small claims court. They look at the evidence from both sides.

resident2 | 9 years and 9 months ago

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Take the landlord to small claims court, think of it as a couple of evenings of theatre. Take all your records, photographs, emails, letters etc. etc. You will get your security deposit back, the tenant always does even if you have destroyed the property and owe back rent….you will get the security deposit back, this is how it works in NYC. The case may get adjourned a couple of times, but you will be amused by some of the other ridiculous cases that get heard in small claims court.

GreenThinker | 9 years and 9 months ago

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But since your landlord agreed to it, and gave you it in writing, the law is on your side. And you’ll get your deposit back.

GreenThinker | 9 years and 9 months ago

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MONTH-TO-MONTH TENANTS Tenants who do not have leases and pay rent on a monthly basis are called “month-to-month” tenants. In localities without rent regulations, tenants who stay past the end of a lease are treated as month-to-month tenants if the landlord accepts their rent. (Real Property Law § 232-c) A month-to-month tenancy outside New York City may be terminated by either party by giving at least one month?s notice before the expiration of the tenancy. For example, if the landlord wants the tenant to move out by November 1 and the rent is due on the first of each month, the landlord must give notice by September 30\. In New York City, 30 days? notice is required, rather than one month. The termination notice need not specify why the landlord seeks possession of the apartment, only that the landlord elects to terminate the tenancy and that refusal to vacate will lead to eviction proceedings. Such notice does not automatically allow the landlord to evict the tenant. A landlord may raise the rent of a month-to-month tenant with the consent of the tenant. If the tenant does not consent, however, the landlord can terminate the tenancy by giving appropriate notice. Real Property Law § 232-a and § 232-b. http://www.nycrgb.org/html/resources/attygenguide.html#3

sqhaexgkh | 9 years and 9 months ago

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see if you can get a pro rate share of your security deposit back. For example, if you gave 15 days notice (half the 30 days), see if he’ll give you half your deposit back. unfortunately, the deposit holding is tough to combat outside of taking him to small claims.

mozeeatupu | 9 years and 9 months ago

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Even though you didn’t sign a new lease, you were still bound to the old lease and were month to month tenants. If the old lease had a 30-day minimum notice, then that is what was required. The way to contest not getting your deposit back would be to file a small claims case.