Security Deposit Not Returned — New Jersey

I'm in a difficult situation in New Jersey and trying to figure out my next steps.

mold in apartment making family sick. I've been dealing with this for about 7 weeks now and the situation isn't improving.

I have been renting for 7 years. My monthly rent is $3,153. I have a written lease.

Do I have a strong case? What should my next steps be?

I specialize in this area of law. Here's my take on the legal issues.

Based on what you've described, you likely have a viable claim under state landlord-tenant code. The standard is whether a reasonable person would find the conduct in violation of notice requirements.

The practical consideration here is cost vs. potential recovery. For disputes under $10K, small claims court is often the best route.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.

This happened to me too. Have you tried filing a complaint with the relevant agency? In my case they investigated and it got resolved without needing a lawyer.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

I ended up filing with the appropriate government agency, which cost about $4-8 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

Just want to point out — the statute of limitations might be a factor here. In some states it's as short as 1-2 years. Don't sit on this too long.

I work in this industry and unfortunately this is very common. The good news is that when people actually push back with legal representation, companies usually settle.

I had a similar issue and ended up consulting with an attorney. It was worth the $200-300 for the initial consultation just to understand my rights.

I've dealt with this before.

I ended up having everything documented, which cost about $3-6 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

I've seen this play out several times in my field.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. I'd recommend being patient with the process instead.

I went through almost the exact same thing.

I ended up hiring an attorney to send the initial letter, which cost about $2-4 but saved me a lot more in the long run.

I've dealt with this before.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. I'd recommend being patient with the process instead.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is having everything documented. I'd recommend keeping a detailed timeline instead.

Not a lawyer, but I have direct experience with this.

The biggest mistake people make in this situation is hiring an attorney to send the initial letter. I'd recommend being patient with the process instead.

Been there. Here's what I learned.

In my case, it took about 4-8 months to resolve. The key was filing with the appropriate government agency.