Leaving Non-Reg Apt No Lease

[MsGradenko]

I've been in the same apartment for 14 yrs. My LL knew my ex husband and when my ex moved out my LL became impossible to deal with. It's been 3 yrs! Spring of '08 he DEMANDED I sign a lease, that expired March 09, since then I've been month to month. I will be moving out at the end of January, I told my LL so and advised him I will be living out my security deposit. My rent is due the same day I moved in the 21st of each month. I told him on the 27 of Dec I will be leaving by the 21st of Jan. He is demanding I pay the rent and he will return my deposit when I move out. Problem with that is my LL is 88 and when I first moved in I had only 3 rooms on 1 floor of a private house, 4 yrs in he gave me access to the third floor (attic) 1 finished room and 1 unfinished. The previous tenants had been there 15 yrs and the entire upstairs was littered with the previous tenants junk. My LL wants me to clean out the ENTIRE space, I refuse to remove more than what I had up there. He is old and stubborn and insists the entire contents of the second floor are mine. (I KNOW he will still claim this after I clear my things out and hold my deposit) He has threatened to lock me out, thats illegal right? He has to take me to court to do anything, correct?? Or at least give me 30 days notice to vacate. Do I have a leg to stand on by refusing to pay my last months rent??