<prompt> Human: Hi everyone, thank you for your help with my previous post I wanted to post an update because I am once again in need of advice. We saw the landlord earlier today and he handed us a copy of the lease with a surprising requirement - the security deposit is three months rent! In other words, he apparently was not asking for the last two months as collateral but a full three months simply to hold on to until weve moved out.I can already see a multitude of fingers flying across keyboards to tell me in no complex terms to bail. But thats not what Im here to ask - the truth of the matter is, we have not seen a better apartment and are willing to put the money down. I would like to know if there is any way we can protect ourselves in case things go south and how exactly they can go south, other than the landlord refusing to return the lease and citing damages. Are there any measures we can take now to minimize risk?  <response>: Make sure the terms under which your deposit will be returned to you are crystal clear, i.e. by ten business days after you surrender keys, etc.Wear and tear is not allowable as a reason to withhold a portion of your security deposit, so make sure there is no language to the contrary. That applies to cleaning, painting, carpets, etc, except for unusual wear damage.Make sure you photograph video the whole condition of the property before you take possession, and ideally provide the landlord with a contemporaneous copy of any deficiencies: carpet stains, nail holes, wall cracks, etc.The security deposit should be held in escrow in an interest-bearing account in many jurisdictions. 