I have used this site quite a lot, and always as a tenant, but now, I have a bizarre question as a landlord. I own a condo upstate. I had a short summer rental (2 months). It is a standard lease, and the two signatories are me and the tenant. The security deposit is being held by the real estate agent who brokered the deal. He asked for that, and I agreed on the condition that anything I wanted removed from the deposit would be removed.
The tenant is gone, and I am deducting charges for things but the real estate agent will not release the security deposit to me because he claims he may be liable for it since the tenant disagrees with the charges. It is my belief that he cannot legally withhold the security deposit from me since the contract is signed by myself and the tenant, and that any discrepancies or arguments are between the tenant and myself.
Isn't he legally required to turn it over to me? And if he doesn't can I report him to the licensing board?
Any help appreciated.
Mark