When moving out of a rental, you may be concerned with whether or not you will get back that security deposit you left with your landlord when you first moved in. There are certainly reasons why your landlord may keep some or all of that money. But if you have followed all the rules laid out in your lease agreement you should be able to collect that money back with no problems.
The key is definitely within that lease agreement, though. When you first moved in, you probably read over the agreement, but not as thoroughly as you should have. When you have thoughts of furniture placement and your first dinner party in your apartment, it is easy to miss important topics on all the paperwork you signed. So now that you are planning on moving on to your next adventure in living space, you will want to reread that agreement.
Check to see what you will need to do in order to get your money back. Do you need to have the rental professionally cleaned? Is leaving with just a quick broom clean enough? Even if you are not required to thoroughly clean the rental, you will want to make sure there are no repairs or stains that need to be fixed or cleaned that could reduce the amount of deposit you get back. Walk through the rental before you hand over the keys. If any repairs need to be made, find out if your renter’s insurance will cover them. For the most part, your renter’s insurance will only cover your own belongings, but it is worth checking into if you need to put any money out for repairs.
When you move into your next rental, be sure you read the lease agreement thoroughly before you sign it. And give us a call if you would like a quote on a renter’s insurance policy to protect you if your belongings are lost, damaged or stolen.
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