Landlord NOT willing to open a deposit account

Hello!

My husband and I are having issues with our landlord. Initially, because my husband couldn't immediately open a Norwegian bank account as an EU citizen, he agreed to transfer the deposit money directly to the landlord's account. The understanding was that once he had a Norwegian bank account, the landlord would reimburse the deposit and open a proper deposit account as required by law. This agreement was made verbally and confirmed via email back in August when we began renting the house.

Around November, my husband finally opened a bank account and contacted the landlord to arrange for the deposit account. Initially, the landlord claimed to be abroad and promised to follow up but never did. After several attempts to reach him, including calls and messages, he mentioned he would check with his bank about the procedure but then became unresponsive. It wasn't until January when we sent him an SMS and he responded, stating the procedure costs 500 NOK, of which he suggested we split the cost.

We asked when he would refund the initial deposit so we could transfer it to the deposit account, also reminding him that it's his responsibility to cover the deposit account opening fee. However, he didn't respond to our queries. A week later, he stopped answering calls altogether.

A friend who's lived in Norway for ten years suggested not worrying too much about the deposit account, advising us to withhold the final two months' rent when we leave to balance things out. But is it really that simple? What if there's damage to the house, and the landlord claims it's our responsibility?

We genuinely like the house and want to maintain a good relationship with our landlord. However, we're starting to suspect deliberate delay tactics. How should we proceed to reclaim our deposit and ensure a proper deposit account is opened, in line with legal requirements?