I recently moved out of an apartment, mainly because it was in a bad part of town and my car was vandalized. I had a chance to upgrade and live with a friend, so I took it. I had fulfilled my one year lease and had been renting month to month. I gave 30 days notice and let the apartment spotlessly clean. The landlords wife hugged me goodbye, and I left a forwarding address for them to mail my security deposit.
A week later, I get a check from my former landlord - for my security deposit, minus $400! The letter he sent says that he was retaining half a months rent for me having had another occupant in the apartment for the month of October and not notifying him. I was confused and assumed there had been a mistake, so I called him up to discuss. He was so rude! He explained that he had docked half a months rent because my boyfriend had been staying over too frequently. I said, "excuse me?" My boyfriend has his own place and doesn't stay with me any more often than I stay with him.
Here's the kicker: the landlord informed me that he could tell me exactly how many days my boyfriend was here, because he has been looking out the window and writing down what time I leave in the morning, as well as any guests who leave with me, and then writing down what time I come home at night, and what time I come down and open the door for any guests I may have. I think that's rather creepy and I don't like being watched like that.
So I can't help but be angry at him. I know as the landlord it's his perogative to change the terms of the lease, and he could monetarily penalize me for having visitors, but I think legally he needs to let me know! He just can't withhold money for behavior that he doesn't agree with, especially when that behavior is not prohibited by the lease (and it's not). If he had said, "couchtiger, your boyfriend is here a lot lately. i'm going to have to charge you for an extra occupant if this keeps up," that would have been ok and I would have known upfront - but this sneaky creepy thing where he watches me and then withholds money retroactively - that's just NOT ok in my opinion.
I pity the next person who rents from this scrooge!