India, Oct. 5 -- A Mumbai tenant whose family lived in a rented apartment for around a decade has alleged that the landlord refused to return their Rs.1 lakh security deposit, citing repair and maintenance costs of nearly Rs.3.7 lakh after they vacated the property.

The tenant took to Reddit to seek advice on whether pursuing the deposit would be financially worthwhile and whether a landlord can deduct repair costs that the tenant believes constitute normal wear and tear. According to the post, the family vacated the apartment after roughly 10 years of occupation and had been trying to resolve the dispute with the landlord for nearly 2.5 months.

The tenant said the landlord provided a list of repair expenses and photographs and claimed ...