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5 Ways to Make Sure You Get Your Rental Security Deposit Back

Written by Posted On Monday, 30 April 2018 16:02
5 Ways to Make Sure You Get Your Rental Security Deposit Back 5 Ways to Make Sure You Get Your Rental Security Deposit Back

Imagine this: you lived in an apartment in Columbus, Ohio, you never caused any damage, always paid rent on time, were always responsible regarding your duties as a renter, and informed the landlord well in time before you decided to move out. After all of this, your landlord refuses to give you your full rental security deposit back. How would you feel? How devastating would it be?

Other than the financial loss, it will be hurtful and disrespectful, too. In order to ensure that you’re not caught in the midst of such an unfortunate incident, be prepared and make sure you get your security deposit back using these five tips.

Fully understanding your lease

This is a step you must take when you first start renting an apartment in any city in the U.S. Thoroughly read your lease and all contractual obligations. It will clearly state all rules and laws that are applicable to your security deposit. This will make you aware of whether or not you’re in a position to demand a full refund or not. Before signing the lease on your move-in-date, be sure you read the fine print. You don’t want any small issues preventing you from getting that huge deposit back.  

Have photographic evidence

Before you start living in a place, take pictures of every room to use as a reference in the future. Then, when you’re moving out, take pictures again. Emphasize any damages or any improvements that may have been made in the time of your stay. You can compare pictures for your own reference while cleaning. This will work well as proof for your landlord if / when he or she decides to try to keep your deposit from you.

Treat your place with respect

Live in the place like you own it. Don’t host parties where there is a risk of damage to the property. Similarly, get any damages fixed immediately – don’t wait until the end of your lease to fix up what you’ve broken. Whether it is a stain or a greater damage, take care of it instantly instead of waiting for the last moment. Lastly, clean regularly so that the place isn’t dirty when you leave. You’ll still need to do some cleaning, but you can make this a bit easier by keeping your things in order from the beginning.

Invite the landlord for visits

Seems odd, right? But maybe it’s a great move. You can do yourself a great favor by inviting your landlord over for inspection before you move out. The landlord can spot-check and let you know of anything that needs to be fixed. This is the time when you can make use of your pictures to let the landlord know of any improvements you made or prove that any claimed damage was not caused by you.

Make sure you’re making no mistake

You are human after all. It wouldn’t be a sin if you accidentally forgot to clean up certain spots or didn’t realize the excess dirt that had built up in certain areas. Everyday life is a bit messy at times, so it is natural if you don’t have a spotless apartment every second of the day. But when it comes time to move out, you need to be as precise and thorough as possible.

Be overly inspective to find any flaw that may have been left. And act as if you’re a landlord when you give one last look at your place. What would you be unhappy with if you owned the place?

These 5 methods will make your plan to get your security deposit back fool-proof. By keeping these tips in mind, you won’t have to worry about getting your security deposit back … your landlord won’t have any reason to keep your money.

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Matt Lawler

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