Hello World! Welcome Friends! As exciting as it is to move into a new place, leaving your old place and having to deal with landlords can be annoying and time-consuming. Here are five tips to ensure that you get your security deposit back, with as little fuss and problems as possible:
#1 Know your Rights as a Tenant
This is extremely helpful when you have a petty landlord who tries to find every imaginable excuse to hold your deposit illegally. Landlords aren’t allowed to hold your security deposit without a valid reason. While different states and cities have unique laws regarding security deposits and tenancy agreements, the main ruling factor is that without a substantial, valid, and confirmed reason with proof, the landlord can’t hold your deposit. There are also rules for deadlines to return the security deposit. Knowing your rights can save you when these situations occur.
#2 Also Know the Tenancy Rules
Read your lease before you decide to give your notice. You need to ensure that you meet the minimum residency requirements before you move out. In most situations, if you break your lease and move out earlier than the predetermined duration, your landlord has the right to retain your security deposit. Leases will often clarify how many people are allowed to reside in a specific listing, how long your notice period should be, what forfeits are included, and so on.
#3 Clean up Before you Leave
Among the main reasons why landlords hold the deposit is that the tenant has left it in an unsatisfactory condition. You wouldn’t like to move into an apartment that looks dirty or lived in, so make sure you clean up before you leave. Hiring a professional cleaning agency is a wise choice, as they can do the cleaning, while you deal with other concerns. Maid agencies such as Maids 2 Match offer exclusive cleaning services just for moving out.
#4 Speak to your Landlord
If you’ve nurtured a good landlord-tenant relationship throughout your tenancy, you could speak to them to do a move-out inspection, too, and even arrange to have your security deposit wired after the inspection. After all, if everything is in good condition and both parties are mutually satisfied, there’s no reason for your landlord to hold the deposit. That said, an in-person inspection would also help clarify what items need to be fixed and cleaned, and an inventory checklist to identify the items currently in the apartment.
#5 Take Pictures When you Move Out
If an in-person inspection isn’t happening, there are other ways. Thanks to technology, you can take pictures, videos, and even do a Skype/Zoom call, so your landlord would be able to see the apartment as if they were physically present. This is a good point to take note of even when you first move in. Take pictures and videos to record the condition of the apartment, take note of any upgrades you’ve made, as well as the condition of the apartment after you leave.
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