Last Month's Rent Refund

Washington State:
I signed a one year lease 3 years ago. I had to pay last month's rent. My rental period was from the 15th to the 15th (my rent was due on the 15th). On Oct. 9th I gave notice to vacate on the 31st. My rent at that point was paid thru Nov. 15th. My lease only states that I must give 20 days notice but says nothing about refunding last month's rent, etc. My landlord is refusing to refund me the 15 days that I had prepaid (nov 1st - 15th). Can he do this?

I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

If that money was essentially security deposit, they take this amount and deduct expenses for normal wear and tear --- to repair this. I.e. new paint or wash the floor, etc.

You should get a receipt of all of his expenses for this unit and see how much he spent. You are owed the balance of this amount.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by lawrat:
I am a law school graduate. What I offer is mere information, not to be construed as forming an attorney client relationship.

If that money was essentially security deposit, they take this amount and deduct expenses for normal wear and tear --- to repair this. I.e. new paint or wash the floor, etc.

You should get a receipt of all of his expenses for this unit and see how much he spent. You are owed the balance of this amount.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Thank you for responding. He verbally told me over the phone that I would receive all of my security deposit and that he was mailing me a check for that. When I inquired about the prepayment of rent (i.e. last month's rent paid thru the 15th) he said he would refund part of it if he rented the place before the 15th. Since I gave him the 20 days notice I assumed he would have to refund me all of the unused rent(1st-15th). I wasn't sure if there was some clause in the law about me giving notice 20 days before the end of my rental period which was the 15th thru the 15th. Or if 20 days notice regardless as stated in my lease, entitled me to the prepaid, unused rent.