Lease Stipultaions

[Melig0429]

I moved into my apartment on 1/1/00, and signed a year lease with the understanding that after the year was up, it would automatically turn in to a month-to-month lease. I just moved out of this apartment on February 22, 2003. My landlord had a stipulation in his lease that you cannot move out of the apartment during the months of Dec, Jan, Feb and March, even if you are on a month to month lease. If you do terminate your month to month lease, you will be liable for rent for these months if the apt. is not rented. I spoke with him and we had a verbal agreement that if I moved out at the end of Feb, he would not hold me liable for March's rent. I never got this in writing, and now he has kept my security deposit saying that I owe March's rent. He had 2 month's notice that I was moving and did not put a "for rent" sign out until 2 weeks before I moved.

I cannot find any documentation to support this stipulation, I don't know if it is legal or not, does anyone have any information that will help me?