Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Illinois
Security deposit
I gave my landlord $1350 security deposit and now that I moved out he's making me wait until he rents the apartment to give some of it back to me, because I moved out before the end of the month. We had no lease. I paid month to month and there was never any other verbal agreements as far as notice for leaving the apartment. What can I do to get my money back in full? He inspected the apartment and I gave him the keys and he said he would mail me a check for only $1015. I feel I should get it all back. He did not do any work on the apartment in the 3 years I lived there. I don't even have an address for him, only a cell phone number.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Security deposit
By law the security deposit can not be used as a rental payment. Your landlord is entitled to the full amount of the monthly rent that is owed after you moved out before the end of the month. He can not hold any of the security deposit toward this rent.
In addition it seems that there were no repairs made after you left the apartment and therefore he can not keep it for those reasons.
Short of filing a law suit to get your full security deposit back there is not much you can not. Since you do not have an address for him you can not send him a demand letter via certified mail. You are going to have to call him and demand the full amount back and explain to him that he is in violation of landlord/tenant law.