The __________ landlord refused to return the security deposit, claiming falsely that the tenant had damaged the apartment. A unscrupulous B lofty C conceited D callous

The correct answer is A: unscrupulous.

An unscrupulous landlord is one who acts dishonestly or unethically, particularly in regards to their tenants' security deposits. This term is used to describe a landlord who may refuse to return a tenant's security deposit without a valid reason, or who may make false claims about damages to the property in order to keep the deposit.

In the context of security deposits, unscrupulous landlords may misuse the funds for purposes other than what they are intended for, such as covering unrelated expenses or simply refusing to return the deposit even when no legal lease obligations have been violated 13. A survey mentioned in 4 found that a significant percentage of both renters and landlords have experienced or admitted to unfair treatment of security deposits, further highlighting the issue of unscrupulous behavior.

The term "unscrupulous" specifically captures the negative and deceitful nature of such landlords, setting it apart from the other options:

B) Lofty - This term generally means high or elevated, and does not relate to the behavior of landlords in the context of security deposits. C) Conceited - This means excessively proud of oneself, which again, does not directly relate to the issue of security deposit disputes. D) Callous - While this term can imply a lack of empathy or concern for others, it does not specifically address the dishonest or unethical actions of landlords regarding security deposits.

Therefore, the term that best fits the blank in the sentence, based on the provided references, is "unscrupulous" 3.4