Security Deposit Refund

[Barbara Harders]

I had two girls who live in my house.  The one girl moved out and the remaining girl brought another person in.  I added her to the lease and took 1/2 of security deposit from her.  Now the original girl moved out and I had to return her security deposit leaving me now with 1/2 of security deposit on the property.  I am not renting rooms but the entire house.  Now she does not want to pay the balance of the security deposit.  How did you handle something like this.  Thank you.

[Randall Alan]

Quote from @Barbara Harders:

I had two girls who live in my house.  The one girl moved out and the remaining girl brought another person in.  I added her to the lease and took 1/2 of security deposit from her.  Now the original girl moved out and I had to return her security deposit leaving me now with 1/2 of security deposit on the property.  I am not renting rooms but the entire house.  Now she does not want to pay the balance of the security deposit.  How did you handle something like this.  Thank you.

@Barbara Harders

It starts when the person goes to move out… you explain that the security deposit is tied to the unit, and not the person.  You should have never refunded 1/2 when the unit was still occupied.   You always have to have the whole deposit on file when occupied.  So it should have been a negotiation between the roommates, and not the landlord. 

The situation will obviously resolve if another person moved in, but going forward, the security deposit stays on file until either someone else moves in, or all move out. 

All the best!

Randy