Getting Back Your Security Deposit
With regard to renting of apartments, an area where there is a lot of misconceptions and confusion is the subject of your Security Deposit. It is the belief and contention of many renters that they should get back the entire security deposit on the expiry of the rental agreement provided no significant damage is caused to the premises and appliances. However, this is far from the case as there are many other factors that make a claim on your security deposit.
Have you caused any major damage
You may justifiably be charged and penalized for causing extensive damage if you had broken any appliances, holed up the walls and not refilled them properly or pulled up the flooring etc; but for any other damages such as discolorations, dirt patches, scrapes on walls and furniture etc. it is not fair to retain the full amount of your security deposit against these minor damages without refunding an appropriate part of it.
What the administrator should do is to assess the total damages and get an estimate done for the cost of rectifying the damages and restoring the objects concerned to their original standard and issue an invoice for same. He can then set it off against the security deposit and refund any balance to the renter.
Have you kept your Apartment in a Clean Condition?
It is the usual procedure for the Administrator to get the property cleaned thoroughly that includes comprehensive cleaning of bedrooms, bathrooms, and areas of common use immediately before a renter vacates, so as to make it ready for the next occupier. Additionally, the other items that generally come up for cleaning include the blinds that are rather cumbersome to clean and are usually charged at the rate of around $ $10/- for each blind. Depending on the condition of the blinds and the number of windows, this item itself can sum up to a big amount.
Some administrators as a matter of routine would also get the refrigerator cleaned in addition to getting the carpets shampooed and walls repainted. The cleaners are given only one hour to complete all these works at the administrator’s expense and since this time is hardly sufficient to do a good job of it, the outgoing tenant is charged for the extra time at a standard hourly rate. When all these items are added up at the standard rates, it almost devours the entire security deposit leaving hardly anything to be refunded to the renter.
Have you gone through Your Rental Agreement?
If you wish to get back your security deposit or at least a major part of it when leaving, then read the contents of your contractual papers and get familiar with all the terms and conditions from the inception. Generally any type of decorative work on the premises is comprehensively prohibited. Unknowingly, you would have done some decorations that had fortunately gone unnoticed so far by the administrator of his team.
But you could get caught at the time of leaving when handing over everything and be assessed and penalize for it. Had you read the contract properly and known that decorations were not permitted, then you could have at least reversed them before getting caught.
Further, having familiarized yourself with the contents of the contract documents and knowing how they charge you at the tail end for cleaning up the premises, furniture, fittings and appliances, you could slowly get them cleaned up one by one a few days prior to leaving, so that by the time they assess the position at the time of vacating the apartment, they would have nothing much to charge you for, to forfeit your security deposit.