I have handed over the keys, but my landlord has not returned my deposit. How long should I wait, and what if he makes excuses?
Readers send their questions to EL PAÍS housing clinic in collaboration with Legálitas
A tenant has delivered the keys to a rental property but the landlords have not returned the deposit. According to the Urban Rentals Law, landlords have one month to check the property's condition and return the deposit balance. If they fail to do so, the tenant is entitled to claim the legal interest on the withheld amount. The tenant should first send a formal request to the landlords via burofax, and if no agreement is reached within 30 days, they can take judicial action, including a verbal trial, without needing a lawyer or solicitor if the claimed amount is under 2,000 euros.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais Economia's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
