How to Get Your Security Deposit Back without a Hassle

Apartment house -

For a tenant to get their security deposit returned in full, they must learn to protect themselves from the time that they get the keys until they are returned to the property owner at the end of the lease. The tenant must be responsible for protecting their security deposit. It will only take a few minutes when they take possession to insure them for getting back the security deposit in full.

Things You'll Need

• Camera
• Two witnesses

Instructions

1. Landlords - Property owners come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and circumstances. Some own houses that they rent out. Some own apartment houses or apartment buildings. Some property owners live out-of-state, some do their own leasing, and some have property managers.

2. Lease signing - There may or may not be a walk-through when you sign the lease. But when you do sign the lease, pay the security deposit, and get the keys, immediately go to the property and look for any damage that might come back to bite you at the end of the lease. Take a witness with you to verify your inspection.

3. Take pictures - In Pennsylvania a tenant has 48 hours to notify the landlord of any damage to the apartment upon taking possession. A roll of film is a small investment if it protects you on down the line. Start at the front door. Take a picture of the inside and the outside of the door for any damage. Then systematically, room by room, take pictures of each wall and the condition of the floor and ceiling. Pay particular attention in the kitchen and bathroom for ceiling or damage to the wall behind the stove. Time stamp the photos. This can be done automatically to verify when the pictures were taken.

4. Notification - Notify the landlord "immediately" if there is any noteworthy damage that you notice at this first inspection. Otherwise, move in and enjoy your new home.

5. At the end of the lease - After the proper notification that you will be moving from the property, do the same thing that you did when you took possession of the property. But, this time, at least one witness (not someone that has lived in the apartment)is absolutely necessary. Again, start at the front door. Inside and outside of the door must be photographed. Use the date stamp on the camera to verify when the pictures are taken. Then systematically go from room-to-room photographing walls, windows, ceilings, floors and closets. Again pay particular attention to any damage in the kitchen or bathroom.

6. In Pennsylvania - The landlord has thirty days to refund the security deposit. My rule of thumb is that if a tenant runs the lease down to the eleventh hour of the last day of the lease, I will wait the full thirty days until I return the deposit. If the outgoing tenant is cooperative in allowing me time to move a new tenant in on the first of the month, I will refund the security deposit within three days of an inspection and their vacating the property. This includes returning all keys to the apartment or mailboxes.

7. Getting back the Security Deposit - Using the Pennsylvania law as an example, the landlord has thirty days to refund the deposit with a letter stating any charges that have been withheld for damages. Sometime there is just the check refunding the full security deposit. But, if you feel that you have been unfairly treated with deductions from the security deposit, consider filing a Landlord/Tenant Complaint. And this is where the full value of the pictures that you took when you leased the property and when you moved out will act as your proof about any damage that has been claimed against you. Also, don't forget your witness. With your witness and your pictures you have a very good chance of a judge ruling in your favor plus the landlord will have to pay the charges you paid to file the complaint.

Tips & Warnings

• Ask around about a landlord "before" you sign a lease. There are some shady landlords in many towns to stay away from.

• Too many tenants let the landlord get away with confiscating their Security Deposit for unreasonable charges.

• I have known of some landlords in this college town that keep everyone's Security deposit. When there are several people named on the lease, very few students will challenge the landlord. This is sad. It makes every landlord look bad.