My landlord in Boise said the deposit was non refundable, and I almost believed him until I read the lease
When I moved out of my apartment near downtown Boise last spring, my landlord kept my $850 deposit and claimed it was non refundable, which I had never heard of in my life. I dug out the lease I signed 2 years earlier and there was no such clause anywhere in it, plus Idaho law says deposits are for actual damage only, so I sent him a letter quoting the statute and got a check 9 days later. How many people just hand over that money because a landlord says something with a straight face?
Good on you for actually reading the lease. Most of us just nod along when a landlord says something with that much confidence, like we're being quizzed by the principal. I'd probably have handed over the 850 bucks and then spent the next month telling myself it was a "cleaning fee" or some other made up thing I agreed to by existing. The trick is that they count on people not knowing the law or not wanting the hassle, and honestly, the hassle is real. Nine days later is a great outcome though, that letter did the job faster than most people get a text back.