Best Practices to Keep Your Rental Deposit

What should you do if you moved out of your place and turned over the keys to your landlord but he did not return to you your security deposit?

A lot of people lose their money because of misunderstandings that may have been prevented. The best guarantee of course is to leave the property just the way as you have found it.

As a tenant, you have the responsibility to take care of the property. You must return it to its original state minus the normal wear and tear. That is according to the law in most states. The phrase “wear and tear” though is often misconstrued.

The phrase wear and tear must be interpreted assuming that there are occupants in the house. A single person living in the rented home is a different situation from a family of four occupying the space.

Normal wear and tear conditions may include things like fading of the paint, some nail holes, and normal matting of a carpet. If you are the tenant, you cannot go away with a broken window, stains and burns on fixtures, scratches or scrapes on the walls, flea infestation, or damages caused by your pet.

You have the responsibility to phone for help and do the necessary repairs with the permission of your landlord.

When you rent a property, always report small problems to your landlord. This will prevent it from worsening and may save you some money in the long run.

It is also best, if before occupying the space, walk through with the landlord so you can point out some damages to the property. This way you will not be held responsible for repairs that need to be done and you can spend the refunded security deposit for more important things.