The Benefits of Cleaning Your Apartment before Moving Out

When you move out of your apartment, certain things are expected. One of your top priorities is probably to get back your security deposit, especially if it was a large sum.

The best way you can do that is quite simple: cleaning. Cleaning your space before you leave can do wonders when it comes to impressing your landlord. He or she will see you as responsible and respectful, and thus will be more inclined to return the entirety of your security deposit.

You also need to repair any damages that you yourself caused. The cost for repairing these can come out of your deposit if you do not attend to them. Mind you, this is different from “wear and tear” damaged, for which you cannot be penalized. It is against the law for that to be held against you.

Are You Dealing with an Unethical Real Estate Agent?

Sadly, I am once again speaking from experience here. What do you do when you suspect the real estate agent with whom you are working seems unethical? What qualifies as unethical behavior?

Here’s my thing. When you are renting a property and dealing with the real estate agent handling the listing, your first instinct is to be extremely careful — you don’t want to offend the agent, thus risking the property, right?

But say the agent keeps making comments that are rather … off. They are rude, to be sure, but borderline unethical. What to do, what to do?

If confronting the agent fills you with dread, familiarize yourself with the code of ethics typically used by real estate agents. See if the behavior falls into those guidelines. If it is possible, you may want to talk to the agent’s superior.

Just because the agent is not representing you does not mean you should be treated with disrespect. If the agent makes a point of saying something tactless such was, “you have really crappy credit” rather than something more PC, if he or she continually crosses the boundaries of polite behavior, you do have recourse.