Small claims court

If you sue for $6,000 or less, you can bring your case in small claims court without a lawyer. If you want the court to also make your landlord pay your lawyer's fees, you need a lawyer representing you in that case.

In Albuquerque, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court hears landlord and tenant cases. It hears only cases where the amount of money in dispute is $10,000 or less. The court's Self-Help Center lists a form called Civil Complaint by Resident for Return of Deposit. You can use it to sue for your deposit.

The Metropolitan Court's Self-Help Center helps people who represent themselves in small claims cases and landlord and tenant disputes. Staff there are not lawyers and cannot give legal advice. They can give general information on court steps and help with forms.

You can sue your landlord in Arizona's small claims court if the amount is $5,000 or less. Small claims court is a court for smaller amounts of money. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can sue your landlord in small claims court for up to $12,500 as an individual. You can file only 2 small claims cases in California each calendar year that ask for more than $2,500. A lawyer cannot represent you there. You can ask a lawyer for advice before your court date. Bring proof to court, like photos of damage, emails, and repair receipts. The judge hears both sides and decides who wins. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can sue your landlord in small claims court for the deposit and the penalty. Small claims court is a simpler court where you do not need a lawyer. A person can ask for up to $12,500 there. If your claim is larger, you can give up the extra amount and still use small claims. Or you can file in regular civil court. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

Either you or your landlord may start a case in the small claims division of the district court. You may do so if you disagree about whether your landlord can keep the deposit or part of it.

A court case to recover all or part of a deposit your landlord kept must be started within 1 year. The year counts from when your rental agreement ends.

Neither you nor your landlord may be represented by an attorney (lawyer) in a small claims deposit case. A lawyer who is a salaried employee of the landlord or the tenant is also barred.

If the landlord does not return the deposit after your letter, you can file a complaint in small claims court.

For illegal entry or a lockout (when your landlord locks you out of your home), you can file in small claims court. You can ask for up to $10,000. Every county circuit court in Illinois has small claims court. You do not need a lawyer. If you cannot afford the filing fee, you can ask the court to let you file for free. Small claims court can only award money. To make the landlord stop entering, you need a regular civil case instead.

If your landlord still does not pay, you can sue in small claims court for $10,000 or less. File in the county where the home is or where your landlord lives. Attach a copy of your lease or any other written agreement about the deposit. If you cannot afford the filing fee, ask the court for a fee waiver (permission to file for free or at a lower cost).

If you think your landlord is unfairly keeping your deposit, you may file a claim. You may file a counterclaim (a claim you bring back if your landlord sues you).

If your landlord does not return the rest of your deposit within 30 days after your tenancy ends, you can sue your landlord. A claim for money less than $10,000 is a small claims case. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can file a small claims case in the justice court for the township where your landlord lives, works, or does business. Clark County has 11 justice courts organized by township, including Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas. If you file in the wrong court, the judge cannot hear your case.

You can sue for your deposit in small claims court. You do not need a lawyer there, and the landlord must prove that what was taken out of your deposit was fair. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can sue your landlord in small claims court for money losses caused by the repair problem. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. As of 2024, you can use it for amounts of $7,000 or less.

You can sue your landlord in conciliation court (Minnesota's small claims court) to get your deposit back. You may file in the county where the rental property is, or in the county where your landlord lives, whichever you choose. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord does not pay what they owe, you can sue them in Nevada's small claims court. Small claims court handles cases asking for $10,000 or less in money only. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You file your small claims case in the justice court for your area, where your landlord lives, works, or has a business.

If you win your case in small claims court, the judge can order your landlord to pay the cost of your case. This is separate from the deposit money you win. Neither side gets money back for a lawyer's fee most of the time. A different Nevada law can allow it in some cases. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

You can sue for your deposit in the Small Claims section of the Special Civil Part of the Superior Court. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. File in the county where the rental is, or the county where your landlord lives. Use Small Claims if the amount you are seeking, including any penalty but not court costs, is $5,000 or less.

You can sue your landlord for money in small claims court without a lawyer. The limit is $10,000 in New York City. It is $5,000 in city courts and in Nassau County and western Suffolk County, and $3,000 in town and village courts. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If the deposit is not returned, first ask your landlord for it in writing, with your move-out date. Then you can sue in small claims court without a lawyer. The limit is $10,000 in New York City and $5,000 in Nassau and western Suffolk counties. Elsewhere, it is $5,000 in city courts and $3,000 in town and village courts. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. You can file a rent security complaint with the Attorney General's Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection.

To win in small claims court, you must prove several things:

• You have a lease.
• Your landlord was required by law to fix the problem.
• You gave written notice, if the law required it.
• Your landlord did not fix it within a reasonable time.
• What you paid, or expect to pay, to fix it.
• The problem lowered your home's rental value.

North Dakota small claims court lets you ask for money if the amount is $15,000 or less. No more than 6 years can have passed since the date of the debt or the date of the last payment.

A small claims court decision in North Dakota can't be appealed. The decision is final.

If your landlord still won't return your deposit, you can sue in small claims court. This is a court for smaller money disputes, and it is simpler and cheaper than other courts. In Ohio, small claims court can only hear claims of $6,000 or less. You do not need a lawyer to represent yourself there.

You can sue your landlord in small claims court if you are asking for $10,000 or less.

If you sue in small claims court, you give up your right to have a jury (a group of people) decide your case.

If you and your landlord cannot agree about a rent problem, Oklahoma law lets you take the issue to court. This can include small claims court, a lower-cost court for smaller money disagreements.

If your landlord owes you $10,000 or less, you can file a small claims case in King County District Court.

You can bring your deposit case to magistrate's court (South Carolina's court for smaller claims) or to circuit court. Both courts can hear deposit disputes against your landlord under this law. You do not have to pick one specific court. Either one has the power to decide your case.

Texas Justice Court Training Center posts free self-help packets and forms for people without a lawyer in justice court. Justice court is the court that hears evictions and repair cases. Packets cover answering an eviction case and filing a repair case to make your landlord fix the home. The center cannot give legal advice. Website: tjctc.org/SRL.html. Phone: 800-687-8528.

File the repair lawsuit in justice court (the justice of the peace court, which handles small claims) in the county where you live. You do not need a lawyer. The judge sets a trial date 10 to 21 days after you file. If you cannot afford the filing fee, file a Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs.

If the demand does not work, you may sue in justice court (also called JP court) without a lawyer. You can ask for money for your losses or ask the judge to release you from the lease. Justice court hears claims up to $20,000. Filing costs about $100, and you can ask to file for free if you cannot pay. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If the letter does not work, you can sue in justice court (the local small claims court) for retaliation. You can ask for a penalty of 1 month's rent plus $500. You can also ask for actual losses, moving costs, court costs, and lawyer fees. With $1,000 rent, the penalty is $1,500. The court subtracts any rent you still owe. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays. Justice court handles claims up to $20,000, and TexasLawHelp has a free petition form.

If the letter does not work, you can sue in justice court (the Justice of the Peace, or JP, court). It handles small claims cases up to $20,000. Most people do this without a lawyer. File in the precinct where the home is located. Bring evidence such as your lease, photos, the forwarding address notice, and your demand letter. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

If your landlord will not return your deposit, you can sue in small claims court. You do not need a lawyer for a small claims case. As a person, you can sue for up to $10,000. You get this money only if you win your case and your landlord pays.

The Wisconsin court system runs a self-help law center. It helps people find court forms and learn how courts work. It does not give legal advice. Its small claims guides explain eviction cases. These cases remove tenants from rental property. They can also let the landlord claim rent owed and damage to the home, no matter the amount.