I moved into an apartment in Oakland, California managed by one of the residents who lived in the building. It was a month to month rental and I paid the house manager a $500. Security deposit. A week after I moved in, the landlord (the person who owns the building), said that everyone needed to move out at the end of the month because he was going to renovate. The house manager said that the security deposits would be returned 3 weeks after we moved out. Since then, the house manager hasn't returned the security deposit and the owner of the building doesn't know where she moved. Does the landlord/owner have any responsibility for security deposit owed to me?

Thanks.

Yes. The landlord owner is the one responsible for the deposit. Why would he put it on the other guy?

Not sure why the house manager collected it. Didn't know it made any difference who I gave it to .

Do you have a receipt?

CA Law requires that the deposit or an itemized list of how it was used, be returned to the departing tenant within 21 days of the end of the tenancy.

Unless the landlord claims and can prove that the person who you paid the deposit to was not acting on the Landlord's behalf and illegally rented you the unit, then he has to return the deposit. I also believe that CA law provides for damages if the deposit (or a statement) is not returned within 21 days.

First of course they could not have made you move that fast to start with, they would have had to give you at least a months notice to move out.

And of course the owner is the one who is legally liable to pay you, not the manager. So if he does not pay you, merely sue the owner