Stealing deposits is such a scumbag crime. Typically stealing $3000 from someone is considered a serious felony but for landlords it is common practice.
For anyone reading this, I would highly recommend your ex-landlord them to small claims court for this kind of crime. The forms are not that hard, the Judges are sympathetic (the landlord is blatantly committing a crime), and it is very satisfying to know that the law can protect you from the criminal elements of society.
I would also add that in California, deposits must be put in an interest bearing savings account and paid back with the interest. Make sure they pay you the proper amount. Ignorance of the law is not a legal defense and it helps establish criminal intent.
In the UK it was such a routine thing (landlord not giving your deposit back) that I just stopped paying the last months rent before moving out.
The UK does have a supposedly mandatory deposit protection scheme, but a lot of dodgy landlords aren't compliant with it, and the dispute process is a fucking nightmare.
> The UK does have a supposedly mandatory deposit protection scheme, but a lot of dodgy landlords aren't compliant with it, and the dispute process is a fucking nightmare.
You can claim up to three times the deposit if it isn't protected in 30 days.
Penalties are steep for not using it, and fortunately enough, landlords have property that can have a charge attached to it. Good luck getting another BTL mortgage.
Curious about this, does the same hold in Arizona? I had a landlord steal my security deposit plus send me to collections for almost $2K for what they said were scratches on the flooring... which was vinyl... the picture they sent as proof would get absolutely laughed out of court I am sure[1]
