Over the last 3 years I have kindly notifed my landlords of the things in my apartment that were not working properly ie; leaky windows, mold etc. Plus there were problems that came unexpectedly ie; flood and oil buildup in front drain which came into the foyer etc.
They have fixed one or two things in the meantime, but I am moving now and I feel I'm going to have problems getting my security back. They seem to conveniently forgotten in the past about the things that were wrong and I'm afraid they will say I made those problems.
They let the lease expire after the first year but I still have my original. They seem to be avoiding the topic and have a new tenant coming in the day after I move out(whom I feel bad for). They live UPSTAIRS from me and I can't help it if they don't care about their house.
I need to know what to do to protect myself. If I take pictures and write a statement about the conditions can I get it notarized?
I'm moving out by Jan 1st. What can I do?
As usual with legal-related questions on Yahoo! Answers, too little information exists to answer this question adequately. The state you're in would be helpful. Not posting the same question five times would be helpful. Nevertheless, I'll answer what I can in this question, and post another question if you need more details.
At this date and time, it's getting a little too late to deal with the problems adequately. A notarized note will not be very helpful - after all, the dispute is not about whether the house exists in that condition, but whether you or the landlord should be responsible for the cost of those conditions.
Taking photographs and video is helpful, but again it only shows that damage exists, not who is responsible for it. The video, though, may be able to show that it wasn't from your abuse of the apartment, but from natural wear and tear that the landlord refused to repair.
Do you have any record of communication with the landlord? That's the strongest piece of evidence you'll have. You'd be able to show that you notified the landlord, or that the landlord acknowledged receipt of that request.
It's a little too late now, but you should have sent certified mailings to the landlord. The landlord would have had to sign a card acknowledging that he received your letter, and you would have proof that he received your request. With just 10 days to go, it's too late for that.
I would carefully catalog everything that has happened, with each date you noticed the problem if possible, if the cause was natural, when you notified the landlord, and the entire history of the dispute. Photos and video are helpful if you go to court. A notarized statement is not very helpful. Records of communication with your landlord are extremely helpful. Otherwise, if you don't get the security deposit, you may simply have to go to small claims court with the recordings and hope that the judge believes your story.