My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: California, San Diego.
To make a long story short. I lived in a house with two other room mates. We signed a year lease. I lived there for about five months when one of the room mates came home belligerently drunk and decided to punch me in the face. I have five witnesses that can attest to that and one witness that saw her punch me. It was 11:00 pm and I had my co-workers over that night for once. I applied and was granted a temporary restraining order against the room mate and moved all my stuff out of the house into a storage unit. Contacted the Real Estate Company we rent from the contact the Landlord and have him notified of the situation that I wanted to be removed from the lease due to civil abuse circumstances and safety issues. Once the other room mates found a replacement I was told that the replacement room mate doesn't have to pay a deposit. I'm not subletting. When I asked the Real Estate Company they told me I'm not guaranteed my deposit back unless the existing room mates want to give it to me. The deposit has nothing to do with the Landlord or the Real Estate Company we rent from I was told. The ex-room mates refuse to give me back my deposit. If a new room mate is replacing an old one shouldn't she have to go through credit check and a deposit as well? Thank you.

