Many landlords ask for a security deposit from the tenants at the time of moving in. This deposit is refunded when the tenant moves out provided he hands over the home in a good condition to the satisfaction of his landlord. Many tenants find a reduced amount of money being returned to them as their landlord deducts money for the repair of the items he claims have been damaged by the tenant. However, it is not difficult for you to get the full amount if you know what to do before you are ready to move out from the rental property of landlord. Here are some tips to make sure you get your full security deposit back from your landlord when moving out from his property.
Keep in mind that it is not the objective of the landlord to keep your money. Landlords charge this security deposit only to make sure that you behave in a desirable manner and keep rental property neat and clean. If a landlord refuses to pay the security deposit back on flimsy grounds, he only hurts his reputation badly as the word spread around quickly. He then finds it difficult to get good quality tenants in his property.
Follow the terms of the lease agreement
Landlords do not deduct money from the security deposit only for causing damage to the property. They also see if they have suffered any losses on account of irresponsible behavior of the tenant or not. Do not carry out any modifications in the unit before prior permission from your landlord. Also, inform landlord in a timely manner about all repairs so that he does not suffer from monetary losses. If your landlord disagrees with the proposed changes, it is better to follow advice. Keep the property clean at all times. Change the air filters of the HVAC on your own without a reminder form the landlord. If bugs infest your home because of your laziness to clean the home, you could find the landlord deducting some amount of money form your security deposit. If you continue to follow the house rules and the terms of your lease agreement, there is no way your landlord will deduct any money from your security deposit.
Indulge in deep cleaning when leaving the unit
Your landlord prepared the home well to make it rent ready. It is his desire to get his home in a good condition when you are leaving so that he can rent it to the next tenant without spending any money and effort. If you can deep clean the home before leaving, you will find that your landlord is happy and satisfied with the condition of his property and likely to return your full security deposit. Make sure all the surfaces are sparkling clean and there are no stains anywhere to give your landlord a chance to raise objections.
Fix broken items on your own
If you have created holes in the drywall to hang paintings, you should fill these holes before requesting your landlord to inspect the home. Landlords do not mind usual wear and tear with use and passage of time but they are within their limits to ask for compensation for damages caused by you. Buy new bulbs to replace broken bulbs and get the appliances serviced to make sure your landlord finds them in the same condition that he gave to you.
If after all your efforts, you find that your landlord has not returned the full security deposit, you can ask the reason why he has deducted the money from the security deposit. Landlord will give you a written reply that will help you in understanding what more to do so as to get your full security deposit from your next landlord.
If you’d like to talk more about property management, or you need help with Everest Property Management, please contact us at Everest Realty.
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As a top producing Realtor and Property Manager; Terry specializes in sales, extensive construction homes, rentals, REO’s, short sales, and all aspects of Real Estate. After graduating the University of Michigan with a master in MBA, Terry continued his endeavor and now has over 15+ years of experience in the Real Estate world. If there is anything that has to do with Real Estate and sales, you can always be sure of Terry to provide important, specialized knowledge.
