refundable lease month-to-month verbal

[sanchohoyt]

I am in a dispute with my landlord. I am a studentI entered into a verbal month-to-month agreement to rent an apartment for the semester. I paid four months in advance as well as a security deposit equal to the sum of one months rent. This agreement was purely verbal and nothing was ever signed by me . Now the semester is over and I am moving out. My landlord is withholding my security deposit for " lack of sufficient notice" that I am moving. There is no damage or any reason to retain my security deposit other than this. What possible courses of action do I have ?

 

[calalily]

Even on a month to month there should have been a written contract? What does the contract state as far as giving notice? Also, google your state laws on landlord tenent laws to see if he is with holding the deposite illegally.

 

[seniorjudge]

...
I am a studentI entered into a verbal month-to-month agreement to rent an apartment for the semester.
....

What are the terms of this lease and how will you prove those terms in court?

 

[CA_LL]

In most states, absent any written agreement, the tenancy is presumed to be MONTH TO MONTH which in most states requires 30 days notice.

If you paid rent weekly instead, SOME states would see that as a WEEK TO WEEK tenancy.

You did not post what state this was in but a verbal is presumed to be MTM absent any documentation to prove otherwise usually.