I thought my landlord could just keep my security deposit for a broken window

After a tenant in my building broke a window last winter, the landlord took the full $1,200 from our security deposit to cover it. I found out from a free clinic at the Daley Center that in Chicago, a landlord has to provide an itemized list of damages and receipts within 30 days, which he never did. Has anyone here successfully gotten a deposit back after a landlord missed that deadline?

3 comments

3 Comments

harperr8227d agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that reminds me of my old place in Logan Square. My landlord tried to charge me for a full carpet cleaning, like $300, but he sent the "bill" six weeks after I moved out. I just emailed him the city code section and he mailed a check real fast.

elliot_roberts27d agoMost Upvoted

Good on you for knowing your rights and calling that bluff.

cameron_hernandez6927d ago

Did he really think you wouldn't look up the rules? That's the landlord version of sending an invoice for "air freshening" or something. They just hope you're too busy to check.