Deposit penalty damages (2x/3x)

If your landlord misses the 60-day deadline for your refund or list, it must pay you double your original deposit. For example, if your deposit was $600, your landlord would then owe you $1,200. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Alabama law does not stop you from asking a court for other money you are owed under your lease or the law. You can ask for this in addition to getting your deposit back. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord may take rent you owe out of your deposit. The landlord may also take damage it suffered because you did not follow AS 34.03.120. The landlord must mail you a written list of them, with the amount due you, within the time limit. If your landlord wilfully (on purpose) fails to do this, you may recover (get through court) up to twice the actual amount withheld (kept back). If $500 was kept back, twice that is $1,000. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord must send a written list of deductions from your deposit within 30 days after your tenancy ends. If your landlord does not, your landlord loses the right to keep any of the deposit. Your landlord cannot make a counterclaim (a claim back against you) if you sue for the deposit. Your landlord must pay your court costs and reasonable lawyer fees. Your landlord cannot sue you separately for damage to the home. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps your deposit in bad faith (not honestly) and against the deposit law, your landlord owes you a $250 penalty. State law defines good faith as honesty in fact. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Move out and ask for your deposit. Your landlord then has 14 days to send a written list of what was taken out. Weekends and holidays do not count. If your landlord misses this deadline, you can go to court to get back the amount your landlord wrongly held. You can also get 2 times that amount as a penalty. For example, if your landlord wrongly held $500, you can recover that $500 plus $1,000 more, for $1,500 total. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Arizona's security deposit law does not stop you from seeking other money your landlord owes you. You can still make other claims allowed under Arizona's landlord-tenant law.

Your landlord loses the right to keep any part of your deposit if they miss the 30 day deadline. They also lose it if they never put the money in a proper account.

When your landlord breaks those rules, you are owed 3 times the deposit. On a $1,500 deposit that is $4,500. You also get 5 percent interest, court costs, and your lawyer fees.

Your landlord may keep your deposit in bad faith (on purpose, without a real reason). If so, a court can order a penalty of up to 2 times the deposit. The court can also order your landlord to cover real losses you can prove. Both come on top of the deposit itself. If your deposit was $2,000, you can ask for the $2,000 back plus up to $4,000 more in penalty. That is $6,000, before other losses you can prove. The judge decides whether to add the penalty.

If the landlord breaks any of these deposit rules, a court awards you 2 times your deposit, plus interest. For a $1,500 deposit, that penalty is $3,000. You also get your original deposit back. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord does not follow these deposit rules, your landlord gives up the right to keep any part of your deposit. This is also true if your landlord wrongly keeps any part of your deposit. Your landlord must then return your whole deposit to you.

Your landlord has wrongly kept your deposit if any of these are true. Your landlord misses the deadline to send the written statement and any required documents. Your landlord sends a statement that does not list the exact reasons. Your landlord misses the deadline to send back the rest of your money. Your landlord keeps the money in bad faith (dishonestly, without a real reason).

Before you sue your landlord to get your deposit back, you must notify your landlord that you want your deposit back. You must also say that you plan to take legal action. You must wait at least 7 days after this notice before you file your court case.

If your landlord wrongly keeps part of your deposit, a court can order your landlord to pay you 3 times the amount wrongly kept. The court can also order your landlord to pay your reasonable lawyer fees and court costs. For example, 3 times $500 wrongly kept is $1,500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

In court, your landlord must prove that keeping your deposit was not wrong. Your landlord must also prove that your landlord followed these deposit rules. You do not have to prove your landlord did something wrong.

The law presumes (treats as true unless proven otherwise) your landlord acted in bad faith (dishonestly, without a real reason) under certain conditions. One condition is that the amount kept is 125% or more of the actual damage cost. For example, if the actual damage cost is $100, keeping $125 or more is presumed bad faith. A court can still decide that a smaller amount kept was unreasonable too.

Your landlord may act in good faith (with an honest, reasonable reason) and still follow all these rules. But a court might find that your landlord kept more money than the actual damage cost. If that happens, your landlord only has to pay back the extra amount kept, plus court costs. Your landlord does not have to pay 3 times the amount kept, or your lawyer fees, in this case. For example, if your landlord kept $700 for repairs that actually cost $500, your landlord pays back the extra $200 and court costs. Your landlord does not pay 3 times that $200. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord breaks the deposit return rules, your landlord owes you twice the amount of your deposit. For a $1,000 deposit, that is $2,000. If the only rule your landlord broke is not paying your deposit's interest, your landlord instead owes $10 or twice the interest, whichever is more. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can sue your landlord in court to get your deposit back, or to collect money your landlord owes you under Connecticut's deposit law. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. Suing does not stop you from also asking for other money you may be owed under a different law.

Your landlord may fail to return the deposit within 20 days after the rental agreement ends or expires. The same applies to the difference between the deposit and the damage list. If so, you are entitled to double the amount kept without a legal right to it. Example: if $400 is wrongly kept, double is $800. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You may ask in writing where your deposit is kept. Your landlord may not tell you within 20 days. If so, the landlord loses the deposit to you. The landlord must then return the full deposit within 20 days from the effective date of that loss. If not, you are entitled to double the deposit. Example: double a $1,000 deposit is $2,000. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord misses this 30-day deadline, Florida law says they lose the right to keep any part of your deposit at all. They must return your full deposit to you. This is true even if your landlord has a good reason to make a claim against your deposit. Losing this right does not stop your landlord from suing you later for damage to the home.

If you win in court, the judge will usually order your landlord to pay your court costs and a reasonable fee for your lawyer. If your landlord wins the case instead, you may have to pay their court costs and their lawyer's fee.

In a Georgia deposit lawsuit, you may sue for interest on money kept without a legal right. You may also sue for attorney fees and the cost of filing. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord refuses to refund your deposit, you may try to get it back by suing in court. The Georgia handbook says you can only get back amounts held for damage that you disagreed with. You must have noted them on the move-out inspection list. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A Georgia landlord who owns more than 10 units, or uses a management agent, can owe 3 times the amount kept, plus attorney fees. The landlord does not owe this if the landlord made a mistake despite efforts to avoid one. Example: 3 times $500 kept is $1,500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A court may find your landlord kept your deposit, or part of it, without a legal right. The court must then award you that amount and the cost of suit. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A court may find your landlord kept your deposit, or part of it, wrongfully and wilfully (without a legal right and on purpose). The court may then award you 3 times that amount and the cost of suit. For example, 3 times $400 is $1,200. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A court may find your landlord was entitled to keep the deposit or part of it. The court must then award your landlord the amount in dispute and the cost of suit. Weigh this risk before you sue.

The Idaho Attorney General says a judge may award 3 times the security deposit if the tenant wins. The judge may add court costs and attorney fees. For example, on an $800 deposit, 3 times is $2,400. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

This applies when your landlord refuses to send the statement, or sends one in bad faith, and keeps the deposit past the deadline. A court can then order your landlord to pay you 2 times the deposit. On a $1,200 deposit, that is $2,400. The court can also make your landlord pay your court costs and reasonable lawyer's fees. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If a landlord does not follow Indiana's deposit return rule, you may recover all of the security deposit due to you and reasonable attorney's fees. The Court of Appeals quoted this law word for word in Wang v. Sun (2023). You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord dishonestly keeps your deposit without a legal right to it, a court can order them to pay you a penalty. The penalty can be up to 2 times your monthly rent, on top of the money you actually lost. For example, 2 times a $1,200 rent is $2,400. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord might miss the return deadline or skip the written notice. If that happens, you can get back the part of your deposit kept without a legal right to it. You can also get 1.5 times that amount. For example, if your landlord keeps $600 without a legal right to it, you also get $900, for $1,500 total. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Getting back money kept without a legal right to it is not the only thing you can seek. You or your landlord can also ask a court for other money owed under Kansas's renter law. Kansas law does not spell out what this other money could cover. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If you disagree with your landlord's move-out list, you can sue in Kentucky District Court (the state court for cases like this). Your case is limited to only the items you wrote down that you disagreed with, unless another law allows more. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Kentucky law says your landlord cannot keep any part of your deposit if two things are both true. Your landlord did not put your deposit in a separate account. Your landlord also did not give you written damage lists when you moved in and when you moved out. If both are true, ask for your full deposit back.

If your landlord misses the 30-day deadline, they owe you your full deposit back. A court can also order up to one more full deposit as extra money. For a $1,500 deposit, that is up to $3,000 total. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A court can punish a landlord who keeps your deposit dishonestly. The penalty is up to 2 times the deposit, on top of your actual losses. For example, 2 times a $1,000 deposit is $2,000.

If your landlord does not pay you within 30 days after your written demand, that counts as breaking this law. You can then get back the part of your deposit kept without a legal right to it. You can get $300 more, or twice that amount, whichever is more. You can get this money from your old landlord, or from the new owner if the property was sold. For example, if your landlord keeps $500 without a legal right, you could get $500 back plus $1,000 (twice $500), for $1,500 total. You get this money only if you win your case in court and your landlord pays.

If you sue and win, the court may order your landlord to pay your court costs and your lawyer's fees. The court does not have to order this. It is the judge's choice in each case. You get this money only if you win your case in court and your landlord pays.

If your landlord misses the deadline, you must give notice of your plan to sue at least 7 days before you file the court case. The 7 days count back from the day you file.

Suppose your landlord does not return the entire deposit within the 7-day period after your notice. Then the law presumes (the landlord must prove otherwise) that the landlord is keeping it without a legal right. In a court case you bring, the landlord must prove that keeping the deposit, or any part of it, was done with a legal right.

A landlord who keeps a deposit without a legal right must pay double the part that was kept without a legal right. The landlord must also pay reasonable attorney's fees and court costs. Example: if $300 was kept, double is $600. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If you were evicted for breaking your lease, or you left before your lease ended without your landlord's agreement, special deposit rules apply. After you mail your landlord written notice with your new address, your landlord must mail you a list of damage within 45 days. If your landlord skips that list, your landlord loses the right to keep any of your deposit for damage. If your landlord still does not return your deposit, you can sue for up to 3 times the amount kept, plus reasonable lawyer's fees. For example, if your landlord keeps $300, you could get up to $900 plus lawyer's fees. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord fails to return part of your deposit within 45 days after your rental ends, without a reasonable basis, you can sue. You can get up to 3 times the amount your landlord wrongly kept, plus reasonable lawyer's fees. For example, if your landlord wrongly keeps $500, you could get up to $1,500, which is 3 times $500, plus lawyer's fees. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can sue your landlord over your deposit while you still live there, or within 2 years after your rental ends. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord breaks these rules, you can sue them in court. A judge can order your landlord to pay you 3 times the amount of your deposit. For example, 3 times a $1,500 deposit is $4,500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. You can also get 5 percent interest on the deposit. On a $1,500 deposit, 5 percent interest is $75. You can also get your court costs and money to pay your lawyer for the case.

Your landlord has 30 days after you move out to mail you a written list of damage it will charge against your deposit. If your landlord misses this deadline, your landlord gives up the right to keep any of your deposit for damage. Your landlord must then return your full deposit to you right away.

Your landlord must return your deposit or sue you for the damage money within 45 days. Your landlord does not have to sue first if you gave no forwarding address or did not answer the written list of damage. The same is true if you both agreed in writing, or the amount claimed is only unpaid rent. If your landlord does not follow this rule, your landlord owes you double the amount it kept. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. For example, if your landlord kept $1,000 of your deposit, double is $2,000.

If your landlord misses the return deadline, or skips your move-out inspection when you ask for one, they owe you double. They must pay back the part of your deposit they wrongly kept, plus that same amount again as a penalty, plus interest. For example, if your landlord wrongly kept $500 of your deposit, they would owe you $500 plus another $500 penalty: $1,000 total, plus interest. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps your deposit in bad faith (on purpose, with no good reason), a judge can order up to $500 more. This is in addition to any other money they owe you for wrongly keeping your deposit. If your landlord already missed the return deadline, the law assumes bad faith. This does not apply if your landlord returns your deposit within 2 weeks after you start your court case. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord may have to pay you up to $200. This applies if the landlord keeps part of your deposit against the deposit law and without good faith. The landlord may also have to cover your actual losses. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord may keep all or part of your deposit without a legal right to it. If so, you can sue for twice the amount it kept that way. For example, if your landlord keeps $500 of your deposit without a legal right to it, you can sue for $1,000, twice that $500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps your deposit, or part of it, without a legal right to it, you can sue in court. The landlord owes you the amount a court decides was kept without a legal right. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

In court, your landlord must prove the damage that the landlord says you caused to the home.

Your landlord must send your deposit balance and a written list of what was kept within 14 days after your rental ends. If your landlord does not, you may recover the property and money due to you, court costs, and reasonable attorney's fees (lawyer fees). You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord must send your deposit balance and a written list of what was kept within 14 days after your rental ends. Say your landlord does not, and this is willful (on purpose) and not in good faith. Then you may recover one month's rent or 2 times the deposit, whichever is less. With $1,000 rent and an $800 deposit, 2 times the deposit is $1,600, so you may recover $1,000. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord does not return the rest of your deposit within 30 days after your rental ends, you get your full deposit back. A court can also order your landlord to pay you up to that same amount again. That means up to 2 times your deposit in total. For example, if your deposit is $1,000, you could get up to $2,000 total. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A court can also order your landlord to pay you up to one more full deposit as extra money. The exact amount depends on good faith, past conduct between you, and the harm you suffered. For a $1,500 deposit, an extra award at the top amount would add $1,500 more, for $3,000 in total. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A landlord who does not follow the deposit interest rules or the deposit return rules is liable to you for twice a sum. The sum is your deposit plus any interest due. Take off any payments made and any charges you owe for damage, unpaid rent, or a share of real estate taxes. For example, with a $1,000 deposit and $20 interest, no payments and no charges owed, twice $1,020 is $2,040. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord misses the 30-day deadline, or you disagree with what was taken out, you can sue for double what your landlord wrongly kept. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. For example, if your landlord wrongly kept $1,500, the court could order your landlord to pay you $3,000. The court can also order your landlord to pay your court costs and reasonable lawyer's fees. Lawyer's fees means the cost of hiring a lawyer to represent you.

If your landlord misses the 30-day deadline for the written list, they lose the right to keep any of your deposit. They also lose the right to sue you later, in a separate case, for damage to the home.

Your landlord has 30 days after you move out to send you a written statement about your deposit. If your landlord misses this deadline, your landlord cannot make a counterclaim (a claim back against you). This applies if you take your landlord to court to get your deposit back.

Your landlord must pay your court costs and reasonable lawyer fees if you win a case to get back your deposit. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps your deposit in bad faith and without a legal right to it, they owe you a $250 penalty. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If you go to court over how much of the deposit your landlord kept, your landlord must prove the amount kept was reasonable. A landlord who breaks New York's deposit return rules must pay your actual losses. If the court finds the landlord broke them on purpose, it can add a penalty of up to 2 times the deposit. On a $1,500 deposit, that is up to $3,000 extra. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If the landlord breaks the deposit law on purpose, a court can order them to pay you up to 2 times the deposit. For example, 2 times a $1,000 deposit is $2,000. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord does not properly account for your deposit or pay back what you are owed, you can file a lawsuit. The lawsuit can ask the court to make your landlord account for the deposit and pay back the balance.

If your landlord breaks the deposit rules on purpose, your landlord loses the right to keep any part of your deposit.

You can also recover money for any loss caused by your landlord not following the deposit rules, on top of getting your deposit back.

If a court finds your landlord broke the deposit rules on purpose, the court can order your landlord to pay your lawyer's fees. This counts as part of the court costs.

A landlord who holds back deposit money without reasonable justification must pay treble (3 times) the amount held back. For example, $200 held back is $600. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord does not return your deposit or send the written notice on time, Ohio law lets you get the deposit back. You can also get an equal amount as extra money. Your landlord must also pay your reasonable attorney's fees. For example, say your landlord keeps $1,000 of your deposit that they should not have kept. You can get that $1,000 back, plus $1,000 more as extra money, for $2,000 total, plus your attorney's fees.

If your landlord does not return your deposit, you can take your landlord to court to get it back. If your landlord also kept rent you paid in advance, you can get that money back too. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps part of your deposit but skips the written list explaining why, you can get back twice the amount kept. Your landlord may also keep part of your deposit in bad faith: on purpose, without a legal right to it. Then you can get back twice that amount too. For example, if your landlord wrongly keeps $500, you can get back $1,000: twice the $500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

The landlord must pay you what they owe within 30 days of your move-out. If they miss that deadline, a court can make them pay 2 times the amount they wrongly held. Example: the deposit was $1,000 and the landlord proves $200 of damage, so they owe you $800. The court can award you 2 times $800, which is $1,600. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord must pay back your deposit, minus proven damage, within 30 days. The 30 days start when your lease ends, or when you return the home and they accept it. If not, a court can order them to pay 2 times what they wrongly held. Your landlord must prove the damage. Example: your deposit was $1,000 and your landlord proves $200 of damage, so they owe you $800. The court can award $1,600. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Give your landlord your new address in writing when you move out. Then, if your landlord misses the 30-day deadline to pay what they owe you, a court can order them to pay double. Example: your deposit was $1,000, and your landlord proves $200 of damage, so they owe you $800. The court can award you 2 times $800, which is $1,600. In court, your landlord must prove the damage. You do not have to prove the home was in good condition.

A Rhode Island landlord has 20 days to send your deposit balance and a written list of what was taken out. The 20 days start on the last of these days: the rental ends, you hand over the home, or you give a forwarding address. If the landlord does not, you may get the amount due to you and reasonable lawyer fees. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If a Rhode Island landlord breaks the deposit law, you may get twice the amount kept without a legal right to it. Example: if a landlord kept $500 without a legal right, twice that is $1,000.

You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord kept your deposit on purpose, a court can order them to pay you up to 2 times the deposit. For example if your deposit is $1000, the court can decide you are owed up to $2000. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If you go to court over your deposit and win, your landlord pays your court costs and your lawyer fees.

If you do not give your landlord a forwarding address in writing, you cannot collect money for a late or missing notice. That only applies if your landlord did not know where you live and mailed the notice and money owed to your last known address.

If your landlord does not send that notice and any money owed on time, you can sue. You can get 3 times the amount your landlord kept without a legal right to it, plus reasonable payment for your lawyer. For example, 3 times $500 kept without a legal right is $1,500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps your prepaid rent without a legal right to it, you can sue. You can get 3 times that amount, plus reasonable payment for your lawyer. For example, 3 times $500 prepaid rent kept without a legal right is $1,500. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

South Carolina's security deposit law does not stop you from asking a court for other money owed under this or another law.

Your South Dakota landlord must act within 21 days. The clock runs from when the rental ends and the landlord has your mailing address or delivery instructions. The landlord must return your deposit by then. Or your landlord must give you a written statement of the specific reason for keeping any part. A landlord who does not follow these rules loses all rights to keep any part of your deposit.

A landlord who keeps a deposit, or part of it, in bad faith can be ordered to pay up to $200 as punishment. The $200 limit covers a bad faith failure to give the written statement or itemized accounting (a list of each amount kept). You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord keeps your deposit in bad faith, a court can make them pay you 3 things. They must pay $100, plus 3 times the amount they wrongly kept, plus your lawyer fees. If they wrongly kept $1,000, that is $100 plus $3,000, or $3,100 before lawyer fees. If your landlord sends nothing within 30 days, the law starts by treating that as bad faith. In court, the landlord must prove each amount taken out was reasonable. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A landlord who in bad faith fails to send the list of what was taken out loses 2 rights. They lose the right to keep any part of the deposit. They also lose the right to sue you for damage to the home. They must also pay your lawyer fees if you sue to get the deposit back.

Your landlord or the landlord's agent may not comply within the 5 business days after you serve the notice. Then you may recover the full deposit, if it was not returned on time. You may recover the full prepaid rent, if it was not returned on time. You may also recover a civil penalty (a fine) of $100. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Utah law gives you no relief for a late deposit if you fail to serve your landlord the written notice for a late deposit. The notice must be served the way Utah law sets.

In a court case to enforce Utah's deposit law, the court must award costs and attorney fees (lawyer fees) to the prevailing party. This applies if the court decides the opposing party acted in bad faith. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Your landlord may fail to return the deposit with a written statement within 14 days. Then your landlord loses the right to keep any part of the deposit.

If your landlord does not return your deposit and the written statement within 14 days, the landlord loses the right to keep any of it. If the failure is willful (done on purpose), your landlord must pay double the amount wrongfully withheld (kept without a legal right). Your landlord must also pay reasonable attorney's fees and costs. For example, if $300 was kept without a legal right, double is $600. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord willfully (on purpose, not by mistake) breaks these deposit rules, a court can order your landlord to return your deposit. A court can order your landlord to pay you money for what you lost, and for your lawyer's fees. If you owe your landlord rent, a court can instead count your deposit toward that rent. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If a court decides your landlord intentionally refused to return your deposit or send the statement, the court can act. The court may order your landlord to pay up to 2 times the deposit amount. For example, on a $1,500 deposit, the court could award up to $3,000. If you win in court, your landlord must also pay your court costs and attorney's fees.

If your landlord breaks the deposit law willfully (on purpose) or not in good faith, you can get a judgment (a court order to pay). The judgment covers any deposit not returned. It adds money for being bothered or put out, equal to 1.5 times the amount kept without a legal right. Example: if your landlord keeps $600 without a legal right, 1.5 times $600 is $900, so you can get $600 plus $900. If you owe your landlord rent, the court must credit the amount awarded against the rent you owe. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Suppose your landlord breaks West Virginia's deposit law, and the break is willful (on purpose) or not in good faith. You can get a judgment (a court's final decision) for the deposit not returned to you. You can also get 1.5 times the amount kept without a legal right to it, for annoyance or inconvenience (trouble the landlord caused). For example, if $200 was kept, 1.5 times is $300. If you owe your landlord rent, the court must credit any amount awarded to you under this rule against the rent due. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

A rental agreement may not say you give up your deposit rights under West Virginia law. A court will not enforce a clause like that. If your landlord sues using one, you can recover the actual harm you suffered and reasonable attorney's fees (lawyer costs). You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord breaks these deposit rules, you can sue them in court. You can ask for twice the amount of money your landlord kept without a legal right to it. You can also ask for your court costs and a reasonable lawyer fee. For example, if your landlord kept $500 of your deposit without a legal right to it, you could ask for $1,000 (twice $500). You could also ask for your court costs and a lawyer fee. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. This is all not a guarantee. A court may offset this double-damages award by the landlord's actual damages when the landlord did send the written statement.

A Wyoming landlord or agent may fail to follow the deposit return rules unreasonably (in a way that is not reasonable). Then the renter may recover the full deposit and court costs. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

In a Wyoming deposit case, the landlord may win. The court may also find the renter acted unreasonably (in a way that is not reasonable) in bringing the case. Then the landlord may be awarded court costs.