<prompt> Human: This guy has been nothing but trouble from the start, and she has a bad feeling that he will try to keep the deposit on a bogus damage claim or at least hold on to it until the last possible second.Shes leaving the apartment in the same condition as when she moved in by the way, so he has no real grounds for damage claims. Pictures will be taken when she moves out.Heres a partial list of this guys scumbaggery:- She saw a giant rat run across her kitchen. Instead of hiring an exterminator, he sent her a box of 5 tiny mouse traps, which a rat would simply laugh at and enjoy the free snack.- The heating bill for January was 300 for her single-room apartment due to crappy insulation and rotting old windows. He refused to admit there was a problem let alone do anything about it.- She asked him to change the light bulb on the high 12 foot ceiling, and he huffed and rolled his eyes for 2 weeks before doing it. This is stated as his responsibility on the lease and she doesnt even own a ladder.- In the new craigslist ad for her apartment, he listed that the antique kitchen table that her father built for her by hand came with the apartment. She specifically told him that this was NOT the case, but the same ad is still up.- She talked to her neighbors and the entire building except for one person is moving out just because this guy sucks so bad.Hes a do-nothing landlord who just wants to sit there and collect rent checks so he can continue to throw money at his failing art career. He can get away with this behavior because it is a high housing demand area, and there will always be another unsuspecting tenant ready to move in.So I know that an eviction process would likely take more than a month, so its not like shes going to be out on the street. Plus this guy is obviously pretty lazy and not on top of his game.But what is the general consensus on this plan of action? Are there any risks or routes of retaliation that this guy could take? Any advice would be appreciated. Ill say that this is in Boston, if that matters.Edit 1: Thanks for the responses. I think Im going to advise her to just pay the last months rent, and document the hell out of everything in the apartment. Some people have also suggested a walkthrough with the landlord before she moves out, which is a great idea. This way if it comes down to small claims court, she will be completely in the right. Plus, she might even be able to sue him for 3x the security deposit if he withholds it. I think the key lesson here is that you need to be willing to go to small claims court in a case like this.Edit 2: Yes, I know that the issues listed above arent the worst things a landlord has ever done and wont mean much in court. Im just using them as examples of his shitty attitude, and why we think that he might decide to keep the security deposit.Edit 3: Yes, it was a rat. Shes not an idiot and she knows the difference. Ive had rats myself before and I know for a fact that mouse traps wont do a damn thing to a rat.Edit 4: The table itself isnt antique, but he used wood from the hull of an antique ship for the tabletop. Its a really nice table.  <response>: Video photograph. Ideally at the same time. A video walk through with a second person taking pictures of details while the video is rolling. Cover every corner of the place. Make it clear when the video was taken by recording the evening news or something. If the guy claims extra damage and there is added damage after the move, you have a stronger position than just photos alone. 