How do I get my money from my landlord?

I was a renter in an apartment. The story started in June last year. I gave the owner of the apartment two checks for two months because I would be not available to give him the rent in person because I was traveling. On July, 29, 2015, I got a problem because someone used my phone online account to replace my phone with a new one and pay the difference. Once I got the email of the order replacement, I transferred the money from my checking account to the saving account on 08/03/2015 to save the money until I connected with the company to see what happened. At that time, I forgot about the rent and on the fourth of August. I got an email with a returned check. The owner connected with me, and I told him to give me his account information, but he refused and told me he would find a way to send him the money but he didn't. Then he told me to give him the money when I got back to the apartment. When I met him later in the month, he told me that he would charge me $375 for the late payment, which he didn't tell me about it till before. Anyway, I said "ok, but I will pay you monthly," he said "ok." I paid him first $150 plus the rent for two months. In the next month, which was October, I paid him $125 plus the rent. In November, I paid him $50. Then he told me that was not what he charged me for, it was more. I showed him a proof for what he asked for. The remaining was $50, I told him to take it from my deposit, and he said ok. At the end of November, I told him that "I will leave the apartment in January, but I didn't know when" because I was waiting my admission. He told me "are you going the pay the rent?" I said "yes, I will pay you the whole amount and when I leave return me the difference of it." He said " yeah, sure, but that will take a few weeks" I said "it's ok." In February, I asked him to return the money, he told me he will just give me $500 where he owes me the deposit and the remaining of the rent.