How To Get Your Security Deposit Back

We tenants often put all the responsibility of our apartments maintenance on the property owner or manager. Very seldom do we think about what we could be doing to maintain a safe and clean apartment. Well, until it is time to recover our security deposit, that is.

But chances are, if the only interest you have taken in the state of your apartments maintenance is when you are moving out and waiting for your deposit back, you are too late to undo the years of neglect.

More than just getting back your deposit, living in a clean and well kept apartment will improve your quality of living and take away some stress. Here are a few tips on what you can contribute, as a tenant to maintaining a safe, clean and neat apartment.

• Report Problems Right Away - If you see a stain in the ceiling indicating water damage you should contact the property owner or manager immediately. The last thing either of you wants is a collapsing roof or serious damage to the property or your belongings. Structural hazards are mandated to be fixed by most city and state governments and a good property owner will want to keep his investment safe. The big areas to keep an eye on are the foundation, roof, pipes and plumbing and wiring.

• Getting Ready For Winter - If you live in a climate where the temperature reaches freezing or below, then make certain any garden hoses are removed and unplugged so that water does not drip and accumulate, causing a burst pipe. If that were to happen, it would not only cause apartments maintenance issues for the owner, but it would be incredibly inconvenient for you.

• Personal and Courteous Decoration - While you do not want to live in a sterile, white room with nothing on the walls and no furniture, there is a line that you should not cross when you are renting an apartment. Some things to keep in mind are that every nail hole will have to be patched. Dents in the floor from a grand piano will have to be fixed. Starches and stains from pets will have to be repaired and cleaned. That can make a lot of work for you, but if the apartments maintenance crew has to do it, they are not likely to return your deposit.

• Follow the Rules - Keep a copy of your lease in your filing cabinet or with other important papers. Make sure to have read all the details about apartments maintenance issues you are responsible for. These may include things like changing light bulbs, maintaining clean surfaces, and sometimes even mowing the lawn if that service is not provided by a management crew. Your lease will also likely outline and limit what types of decoration you may add to the home. You will not likely be allowed to change the appearance of the outside structure, change the paint color, put in hardscaping or landscaping to the lawn, perform mechanical work in the garage or driveway or run a home business from the premises. These rules are all designed to preserve the investors property. It is also important to abide by pet restrictions.

The stigma attached to a proprietor and his lessee may be the brunt of many jokes and the plot to a few horror stories, but there is no reason you cannot make a friend of your management team. You will find life more enjoyable when you have a good relationship with your management team.

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Disclamer: This entry is intended to promote our partner StorageMart and some or all participants received compensation.

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