Lawsuits cost money, and in most cases there tends to be a large wealth disparity between landlord and tenant. Landlords know this, not just in general but also in particular since they've seen your finances (proof of income etc.) before letting you move in. So when the time comes to consider whether to try to screw you over, the choice tends to be rather easy.
In most US jurisdictions small claims court requires self-representation, so your landlord can’t out spend you on lawyers to win.
I thought what you said too before I filed the first time. It cost me $50 to file and I was able to do it by mail. It took forever to get the case heard because the landlord was a huge d-bag who intentionally dodged service for nearly two years, but I got my day in court and it took less than 20 minutes in front of a judge to be awarded my deposit back + interest + a penalty on the landlord. I showed up to court over my lunch break and was back to work before anyone knew I had left. No lawyers, just a single file folder of evidence, a $50 check, and one printed and mailed form to file.
It can sometimes be challenging to get paid, but many times it’s a manager acting improperly on behalf of a national corporate landlord and they will cut you a check immediately, they get sued so often it’s an expected business expense (says something about how scummy landlords are).
> In most US jurisdictions small claims court requires self-representation, so your landlord can’t out spend you on lawyers to win.
They can’t bring one in to the court, they absolutely can spend on lawyers to prepare though. Depending on circumstances, they may also be able to countersue with a claim that exceeds the small claims limit, which will transfer the whole controversy out of small-claims court.
