Badly need help!!!! Landlord wants to keep my security deposit. (Pittsburgh: rental, lawyer)

[ElijahKhalil]

Thanks WILWRadio. Some of the companies don't even exist in yellowpages. And the numbers the landlord provided are cellphones not landline.

[ElijahKhalil]

Thanks WILWRadio! I should do that too.

[WILWRadio]

Document all of this. In addition, when you speak to your Landlord again do not lead on that you've uncovered this information. Just let him continue to spill his lies, document all of this information the same manner as described earlier and then use it against him when you contact the appropriate local office. Even if it is only a phone call, just put in the date, time and person you spoke to and write down what happened and what you discussed.

[Hopes]

WILWRadio! I'm so glad you posted! I totally agree that she shouldn't let on. He shouldn't know anything until they are in front of the judge. He can't be given an opportunity to formulate an explanation. Let him be tongue tied in front of the judge!

That's how I won once. I had pictures. The landlord was totally surprised since I hadn't even lived in the apartment. (It had flooded between my giving a deposit and my move-in date.) I got the pictures by pretending to measure for curtains. The landlord was speechless. All he could say was, "I want to know how she got those pictures?" The very pictures that I presented immediately after he lied and said the apartment habitable. It was priceless.

Speaking of pictures, I wonder if it's possible for friends to pretend to be a prospective tenants? They could go into the apartment and take pictures while looking at it, pretending that they wanted to see if their furniture fit or whatever. I'd do whatever I could to get some pictures even if it's after-the-fact.

[PeterRabbit]

Do a search for your landlord's name or business name and see what turns up. It's possible they do this or other shady things often enough that others are complaining about it online.

[Hopes]

PeterRabbit, she told me some details via PM that sounds very shady. I really think she should share it all with you and WILWRadio.

[WILWRadio]

She should also contact the Better Business Bureau for what it's worth. Sometimes they can be an asset if they have complaints on file for a given business. Perhaps this guy has a history of this in which case this info can be used against him.

[JoeLeaphorn]

Under some circumstances, you may be entitled to recover double your security deposit. I know two landlords, one in the North Boroughs and one in the Shadyside area who do this kind of thing on a routine basis. Send him a certified letter telling him that he has 20 days to provide the documentation that the work he described has been done or you'll take him to small claims court.

And remind him that if you win, you are entitled to twice your security deposit.

[ElijahKhalil]

He provided me documentation but these were just estimates---not in any way proving that he got any work done. Can I demand for receipts or invoice? Coz that is the only way I would really know that he really paid for all those services and that he is deducting these from my deposit. The 30-day time frame for him to return the deposit has lapsed. He was able to give me the remaining and "what he claims are receipts/documentation on the very 30th day. But upon investigation, owners from the cleaning companies deny that any work had been done to the apartment and that they only provided estimates and that was free of charge. Some of the documents he provided were dubious. Can't even find the names of the companies in yellow pages and the numbers were cellphones. Seems to be all these have been fabricated just for him to keep my money.

[ElijahKhalil]

Thanks for your input, JoeLeaphorn. Does anyone of you know of any pro-bono lawyers I may seek legal advice from so I know where I stand and know how strong my case is against this landlord? Thanks again.