Dita Von Teese Sues Landlord in Security Deposit Dispute

Burlesque revivalist Dita Von Teese on Monday filed a lawsuit against her former landlord, whom she says "went on Mel Gibson-like anti-Semitic tangents, personally attacking [Von Teese's] Jewish managers and business partners" when she sought the return of her $5,000 security deposit.

Von Teese, who lived for four years in the nearly 1,600 square foot, three-bedroom, three-bath single-family residence a block off Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, claimed in the lawsuit that she followed move-out procedure, complete with a final walk-through with landlord Lallubhai N. Patel.

She claims that Patel initially agreed to return the security deposit during the walk-through attended on her behalf by her business manager Eric Foumberg, but later reneged, saying thsome walls needed repainting and all the woodwork needed to be refinished (The floors do look very shiny in the listing photos).

It is very common for landlords to keep all or part of the deposit to repair items that are damaged beyond "normal wear and tear." If you think you haven't caused excessive damage to your rental, see steps that you can take in "Six Ways to Make Sure You Get Back Your Security Deposit."