Hello. My lease expires at the end of December but I'm moving to a new apartment at the beginning of November. This new apartment was a last-minute find even though I avoided paying my rent this month. I did that because I know this LL doesn't refund security deposits. I got this apartment thru my uncle, who lived here before me. He lived in it for 3 or 4 years. It had been totally renovated when he first moved in. Because it was so-so quality renovation and because he had 3 kids, the apartment was relatively worn by the time he moved out. The wood floors were worn and black. So when he was moving out, the LL refused to refund my uncle evn part of the deposit on the claim that they had damaged the apartment. At the same time, he wasn't happy renting it to me because he wanted to raise the rent higher than I was willing to pay. In the end, though, he let me have the apartment at a little less rent than he wanted, but he didn't fix a thing in the apartment. He didn't even paint it. At the same time, he left the apartment closed for the entire month that my uncle moved out, not giving back his deposit and not letting us move in.
Now that I broke my lease with him (just informed him today), he tells me that he is going to screw up my credit because we owe him October, November, and December, plus he is going to take us to court. He also says that if there is any damage to the apartment, he will add that to his case against us. I told him the apartment is in better shape now than when I first moved in because he did absolutely nothing to the apartment. He had even seen the vinyl tiles I installed in the hallway and that we had painted the apartment ourselves. But he told me that since I had signed the lease, that meant that I was acknowledging that the apartment was in good condition. Of course that made me so angry. I had no proof that he refused to fix up the apartment but at the same time I don't see where it says that the apartment is in perfect condition. Also, he wants me to pay the October rent, and when I asked him if he would then give me back the deposit, he says that the purpose of the deposit is to make sure I honor the contract. He asked me to fax him a letter stating that I will be leaving the apartment. Should I do that? I know he will use it against me, but does it make a difference whether I write a letter or not? Plus are his claims true? I don't care if he screws up my credit. I can't let him intimidate me like that. But do I stand a chance if this does indeed get to court?