Winning in court does not always mean the fight is over. The creator behind @jezacat, who goes by Jez, shared on social media that she once sued her landlord and won, and that she is now facing another dispute with the same landlord over her security deposit. This time, she says, she has decided not to fight. In her words, “I’m choosing peace.”
@jezacat
A Landlord She Already Knows
Jez says she studied landlord and tenant law when she took her old landlord to court, and she describes the relationship with a wry line: “We have beef.” She calls him greedy and selfish. When she moved out, she says, she already knew he would try to keep more of her deposit than he was entitled to.
According to her, she believes he is deducting about $550 more than he should. She says his company does not answer phones, texts or emails, and that she waited 18 days without a response. In her view, the silence is deliberate, a way to make tenants give up. These are her opinions about how the company behaves, and the landlord is not named.
The Deductions
That same day, she says, the landlord finally replied. His list of deductions, as she reads it, came to $850 in total: $500 for paint, $300 for wall damage and $50 for a toilet cover replacement. She says she does not know what the wall damage refers to. She also says the paint charge seems too high and that he is supposed to send itemized invoices for each charge.
As she explains it, the amount she considers excessive is $550, and her figure is an estimate. She adds that she could realistically claim back the $350 for the wall and the toilet cover, and possibly the full $550 if the paint is also overcharged.
The Legal Math
Jez walks through what she understands the rules to be. She says a landlord must prove the expenses and must do so within 21 days of the move out. That is the standard she describes, and it is why she thinks part of the amount could be claimed back. But she weighs the cost of pursuing it. Fighting would mean frustrating communication, and probably suing again, which she says would take months of time and energy.
She asks a pointed question: “At what cost?” Her answer is that her happiness and peace are the things she cares about most. She says she is not motivated by money, by being right or by revenge.
The Text That Ended It
Her first reply to the landlord, she admits, was angry. She asked him to explain the $300 and $50 charges. Then, almost immediately, she texted again to say that on second thought it was not worth the trouble. She gave him her address and asked him to mail the check. She does not say how much the refund will be.
She jokes that when the check arrives, she will buy “caviar and champagne” and toast to purging negativity and bad vibes, and to always choosing happiness. She sums it up with another line: “I choose to be happy.”
What People Said
Responses to her story included a mix of opinions about her decision. One person shared a saying, “5 minutes or 5 months.” Another urged her to fight it for the love of the game. A third person debated whether $500 for paint is reasonable, noting that painting an apartment between renters is standard and that charging the departing tenant for it is wrong. These are the opinions of strangers, and the rules differ by location.
How to Protect Your Security Deposit
Whether you fight or walk away, there are steps that make deposit disputes easier to win or avoid.
Document everything at move in. Take dated photos of every room, including walls, floors, appliances and fixtures, and send them to your landlord by email so there is a time stamp. Do the same when you move out.
Read your lease and local law. Deposit rules vary widely. Many places require landlords to return the deposit, or send an itemized list of deductions, within a set number of days after you leave. Some limit what can be deducted and exclude normal wear and tear. Look up your own state or city rules rather than relying on a general rule of thumb.
Know what normal wear and tear means. Minor scuffs, faded paint and worn carpet from ordinary use are often considered normal. Holes in walls, broken fixtures or large stains may not be.
Ask for itemized invoices. If a charge seems high, request receipts or invoices in writing. A landlord who can show real costs usually has a stronger position, and one who cannot may reconsider.
Send a polite demand letter. A short, factual note that lists the charges you dispute, explains why and sets a reasonable deadline can resolve many disputes without a court date. Keep a copy and send it in a way that provides proof of delivery.
Consider small claims court. For modest sums, small claims is designed for people to represent themselves, and filing fees are usually low. Jez’s own story shows it can work, though she also shows it can be tiring.
Choosing Where to Spend Your Energy
Jez’s decision will not suit everyone. Some people would see $550 as worth the effort, and others would not. What stands out is that she weighed the time, stress and uncertainty against the amount and made a choice she can live with. For tenants facing a similar bill, the lesson is to decide early which battles matter, to collect evidence either way and to keep your peace of mind in the calculation.
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