Ginaw
09-26-2006, 09:09 AM
Hi,
I recently moved to the US and sublet a furnished apartment in NYC for a month while we searched for a permanent home. I paid a $3000 security deposit. The apartment was very dirty when we moved in but the landlord, after several calls and complaints from us, had it cleaned. The furniture and electronics were all at least 20 years old and in poor condition.
We thoroughly cleaned the house before we left and made several requests to the landlord that he or one of his employees conduct an inspection when we moved out to verify that the apartment was left in good condition. Unfortunately the landlord did not show up for the scheduled inspection and did not return our phone calls. We tried reaching him by email and phone many timesover the next week. He didn't return our calls and we only got through to him when we used a phone number he was not familiar with. We scheduled two appointments to meet with him to verify that we had left the apartment in good order and to discuss when and how he would return our deposit- both times he failed to show up and didn't call. We also have his key and have tried to make an appointment to return that, to no avail.
Now we've received an email saying "some things" were broken in the apartment. We definately did not break anything, and sent several emails and phone messages asking for a list of what was broken, but he hasn't reponded. My husband went to the apartment building to try and find him, but the doorman said he wasn't there so my husband left immediately. Later the landlord called and said he was annoyed by our "intrusions" and said he would have my husband arrested if he returned to the building!
What are our rights in this case? We moved out two weeks ago. We understand he has to wait for utility bills to come in before he can return all of our security deposit, but is he obligated to provide some evidence of these allegedly "broken things"?
Many thanks.
I recently moved to the US and sublet a furnished apartment in NYC for a month while we searched for a permanent home. I paid a $3000 security deposit. The apartment was very dirty when we moved in but the landlord, after several calls and complaints from us, had it cleaned. The furniture and electronics were all at least 20 years old and in poor condition.
We thoroughly cleaned the house before we left and made several requests to the landlord that he or one of his employees conduct an inspection when we moved out to verify that the apartment was left in good condition. Unfortunately the landlord did not show up for the scheduled inspection and did not return our phone calls. We tried reaching him by email and phone many timesover the next week. He didn't return our calls and we only got through to him when we used a phone number he was not familiar with. We scheduled two appointments to meet with him to verify that we had left the apartment in good order and to discuss when and how he would return our deposit- both times he failed to show up and didn't call. We also have his key and have tried to make an appointment to return that, to no avail.
Now we've received an email saying "some things" were broken in the apartment. We definately did not break anything, and sent several emails and phone messages asking for a list of what was broken, but he hasn't reponded. My husband went to the apartment building to try and find him, but the doorman said he wasn't there so my husband left immediately. Later the landlord called and said he was annoyed by our "intrusions" and said he would have my husband arrested if he returned to the building!
What are our rights in this case? We moved out two weeks ago. We understand he has to wait for utility bills to come in before he can return all of our security deposit, but is he obligated to provide some evidence of these allegedly "broken things"?
Many thanks.
