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A property manager holds a tenant's $1,800 security deposit in trust. The tenant vacates, and the landlord claims $300 in legitimate cleaning costs but is temporarily unreachable. Under New York General Obligations Law §7-108, what is the property manager's primary obligation?

Correct Answer

B) Return $1,500 to the tenant within the statutory deadline and hold the disputed $300 pending landlord authorization

Under NY General Obligations Law §7-108, a landlord — and by extension a property manager acting as the landlord's agent — must return the security deposit within 14 days of the tenant vacating, along with an itemized statement of any deductions. Failing to meet this deadline can cause the landlord to forfeit the right to make any deductions. The legally defensible approach is to return the undisputed portion ($1,500) to the tenant within the statutory period, while retaining only the disputed amount ($300) pending proper landlord authorization. This honors both the tenant's statutory right to timely return and the broker's agency duty not to disburse funds without client authorization.

Answer Options
A
Hold all $1,800 in trust indefinitely until the landlord provides written authorization for any disbursement
B
Return $1,500 to the tenant within the statutory deadline and hold the disputed $300 pending landlord authorization
C
Return the full $1,800 to the tenant immediately, then pursue the landlord for reimbursement of cleaning costs
D
Transfer all funds to the DOS to hold in escrow until the landlord and tenant reach a written agreement

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

property_managementsecurity_depositslandlord_authorizationagent_authority

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