Tenant Tips – How To Successfully Get Your Security Deposit Returned

Are you planning on moving into a new rental property but you’re concerned that you may not get your security deposit back because other landlords have kept it in the past?

In this article, we will provide you with several tips that you can use to ensure that you get your security deposit back after you move out of your rental property.

Tip #1 – Take Great Pictures Of The Property Before Moving In

One common thing that most people have in their pockets these days is a smartphone, which can take pictures and video.

Before moving into the rental property, you should take pictures of each room and document every pre-existing condition.

Doing this will help both you and your landlord know for certain the condition of the property before you moved in, and eliminate the possibility of you getting blamed for damage that you didn’t cause to the property.

Tip #2 – Fill Out The Landlords Inspection Form

After taking pictures of the condition inside the rental property, you should also fill out the landlord’s inspection form so that you can document the condition of the property in your own words.

Your written statement on the inspection form is what your landlord is going to be primarily looking at to determine who is responsible if the property has damages after you move out.

Tip #3 – Know When The Landlord Must Mail The Security Deposit Back To You

Last of all, but most important, you should how long your landlord has to return the security to you based on the laws for the state that your rental property is located in.

In most states, landlords have up to 60 days, but the average landlord often mails back their tenant’s security deposit in 30 days.

Once your security deposit is returned, you should also know that your landlord is required by law to include an itemized report of any deductions that they may take from your security deposit, including the reasons for those deductions.

Contact Deposit Defender

At Deposit Defender, with our app, you can thoroughly document the condition of a property before you move in so that there’s no question about who is at fault for damages after you move out.

To see how easy our app is to use, click here to download and try it out today, you will be glad that you did.