My Bushwick landlord held our deposit hostage for 6 weeks, lied about Con Ed, and charged us $300 for a scratch he never mentioned during the walkthrough
Last year me and my roommate rented a 2bed/2bath on the second floor of a walkup near the L. We were both in a master's program in Manhattan and needed something close to the train. The place was newly renovated, central AC, hardwood floors, huge bedroom windows. We loved it.
The landlord seemed chill at first. Then the small stuff started.
He'd installed one of the door knobs upside down. The lock mechanism was so close to the handle that standard locksmith tricks didn't work. One night around 10PM my roommate locked herself out. Landlord called a locksmith, the guy literally had to drill a hole through the door to get in because of how badly the knob was installed. $150. We told the LL it was his fault, he refused to cover it, offered half. We were young, tired, and just wanted in. We paid it.
A kitchen track light went out around the same time. Simple bulb replacement. Took almost a month of last-minute reschedules on his end to actually show up and fix it. We were cooking in the dark.
Fast forward to move-out. We did a full walkthrough together. He said everything looked great. We moved out August 31st.
Then he tells us we'd get our deposit back in October. Not legal, NY law requires it within 14 days. We pushed back. His response: "the money is tied up." This man had a building full of tenants paying him September 1st, the very next day.
October comes. Now suddenly there's a $500 scratch on a vinyl cabinet, something he never mentioned during the walkthrough. We argued. He dropped it to $300. We were exhausted and just said fine.
Then he claims my name is still on the Con Ed account and the new tenants can't register. Except I'd closed the account in early August, before we even moved out. I told him this. He didn't budge. So I called Con Ed directly, they confirmed the account had been closed since August and offered to send a letter proving it. I sent it to him.
Suddenly he could pay. But then he needed to "be at an office to Zelle us." Days pass. Nothing.
We gave him a formal 5-day notice, pay or we're filing small claims. Day four, the money hit.
The whole thing, the bad install, the locksmith, a month without a working kitchen light, the deposit games, the Con Ed lie, could have been avoided if I'd known what I was walking into. Me and my roommate were so broke at the time that fighting for 6 weeks over a deposit was genuinely stressful. And the wildest part is we still kind of liked the apartment itself.
That experience is honestly why I built LandLo.co a free anonymous platform where NYC renters can review their apartment, landlord, and neighborhood so the next person knows what they're signing. A few friends have already left reviews and honestly some of them are hilarious. If you've got a story, drop it there.
Stay safe out there Brooklyn 🫡