Site: nolo.com
... most states, you can’t sue for more than a few thousand dollars—see the discussion below), tenants ... security deposit refunds are prime candidates for small claims: There is a dispute as to whether the tenant ... damaged the property, left it a mess, or owes rent, and there is a sum of money at issue. ... A typical tenant’s lawsuit against a landlord might proceed like this:
the tenant (plaintiff) ... files the lawsuit with the court clerk, paying a small filing fee
the tenant has the papers served on ...