To Whom Can I Report My Landlord if My Security Deposit Wasn't Returned in Pennsylvania?

While you can "report" a landlord for failure to return your security deposit in Pennsylvania, the primary recourse available to you is to sue your landlord for damages under the provisions of Pennsylvania's landlord tenant laws. Talk to a Pennsylvania attorney if you need legal advice or assistance with a landlord-tenant issue.

Security Deposits

Landlords may, but do not have to, require a tenant to pay a security deposit as a condition of the lease in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Statutes section 250.511a states that a landlord can require an amount equal to no more than two months' rent as a deposit. The landlord must place that money in an interest-bearing account until the lease ends, when the landlord can use the deposit to repair any damage to the property.

Deposits and Damages

Landlords have to return your security deposit, minus any expenses the landlord deducts for repairs to the property, within 30 days after the lease terminates. If the landlord fails to do this, the tenant has the right to sue the landlord for double the amount of the initial deposit, according to 60 Pennsylvania Statutes section 250.512. This means, for example, that if your security deposit was $700, you are entitled to $1,400 in damages.

Small Claims

Security deposits typically involve relatively small dollar amounts, and as such, you can sue your landlord for an unreturned security deposit by filing a small claims court case. Each county or city in Pennsylvania has a small claims court in which petitioners -- the person filing a lawsuit -- can sue other to recover amounts of up to $10,000. Contact your local county courthouse clerk and ask about what you need to file a small claims court in your area, as procedures may differ between jurisdictions.

Reporting the Landlord

Apart from suing the landlord in small claims court for return of your security deposit. you may also be able to report the landlord to local housing associations or similar organizations. For example, if your landlord participates in a federal housing program, or you rented your home as part of a federal program, you can report the landlord to the Department of Housing and Urban Development by contacting the toll free help line at 1-800-685-8470. However, your best avenue when your landlord refuses to return your security deposit is to sue the landlord and recover the damages owed you under the law.

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