Is a landlord obligated by accepting a deposit?
We spoke to landlord (who was on vacation) on the phone, who wanted us to deal with the realtor he used previously, since the current tenants were breaking their lease. Realtor did a credit check, then landlord told us the house was ours if we wanted it, and he would stop showing it when we gave the realtor the security deposit, which we did. He cashed one partial sec. dep. check, but not the second check. Now, two weeks later (after we gave notice where we rent and turned down 2 other rentals), he is lying to us about many things and says he's not sure who he is renting it to. No lease was signed yet since he was on vacation. Is he under any obligation to rent to us by accepting the security? And can we sue him? This has greatly inconvenienced my family since we have 2 small children and noplace to live as of August 1st. Thank you for your input.
Re: Is a landlord obligated by accepting a deposit?
I believe that the landlord is obligated to rent to you and would respond positively to a letter from an attorney.
Call me if you like.
Gary Moore, Esquire
Hackensack, New Jersey
www.garymooreattorneyatlaw.com
