I participate in a clinical program in which I provide legal advice to people with housing-related questions. The most frequently-asked set of questions pertains to security deposits - a landlord refusing to return it, or failing to pay interest, or claiming too much for repairs, etc. The law is relatively clear, but landlords often take advantage of their inherently superior bargaining position (they hold the money and, hey, they're the landlords) to shortchange tenants on their way out.

That's why I was glad to see that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is reversing a series of amendments advocated by his predecessor (and likely presidential candidate) George Pataki and passed in the type of midnight legislative session that makes the New York legislature such a disgrace. One amendment would have permitted landlords to double security deposits. In my clinical experience, I have seen dozens of instances of landlords taking advantage of tenants. I have not yet seen a landlord without enough money on deposit. When a family is moving to a new apartment (which often entails paying more rent), the last thing they need is for the landlord to have even more of their money not to give back.