Can My Present Landlord Refuse To Return My Security Deposit If The Previous Landlord Didn't Transfer It?

Hi everyone,

I’m dealing with a frustrating situation regarding my security deposit, and I could use some advice. I live in Ohio and recently ended a month-to-month lease. I gave over 30 days' notice, left the property in great condition (confirmed by my landlord via text), and have no outstanding rent or damages. Never even missed a payment and had him as my landlord for like 4years!

The lease agreement with my landlord (let’s call him Tony) states that my security deposit of $620, which I originally paid to the previous landlord, was transferred to him when he took over. I also have a receipt for the deposit from when I moved in.

However, after moving out, Tony has been unresponsive. I’ve been texting him for the past month and a half, but his replies have become less frequent. Now he’s saying he doesn’t have my deposit because the previous landlord never transferred it to him.

From my understanding, since the lease agreement states that the deposit was transferred to him, isn’t he legally responsible for returning it to me, regardless of whether he actually received it?

I’m considering sending him a formal demand letter and taking this to small claims court if he doesn’t comply. Does anyone know if Ohio law is on my side here? Is there anything else I should be doing to strengthen my case? It has also been a month and 10 days since my date of moving out.

Thanks in advance for any advice!