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Cleaning Tips to Get Your Security Deposit Back

Eagle Couple Moving out and CleaningIf you’re like most Eagle renters, you don’t worry too much about how to clean your rental house when you move out. That is until the moment comes, and you begin thinking about how badly you want to get your security deposit back. To qualify for a full refund, most landlords expect you to leave the house as spotless as it can be. But for that to happen, you need to be hardworking. Nevertheless, if you take these five expert cleaning tips, you will surely increase the chances of getting your security deposit back after you’ve moved out.

Tip #1: Read Your Lease

Probably your lease isn’t the primary thing you would usually go to find cleaning tips. But as a renter, the chances are that your lease documents (including addenda, if any) include language that can help you understand what your landlord’s expectations are. In several instances, you’ll find a significant response to inquiries, including whether you want to have the carpets professionally cleaned, which portion of the house you will be checked, etc.

Tip #2: Get (and Use) A Move-Out Checklist

Good landlords will typically send their tenants a move-out checklist by the time their tenants give notice that they have to leave the house soon. If your landlord did not, you could still find lots of comprehensive cleaning checklists online. It is essential to use a checklist as you clean to ensure you’re not missing something, both inside and out in the yard. Even small cleaning tasks missed might add up to big deductions on your security deposit, so you have to devote yourself to your work.

Tip #3: Think Like a Landlord

Probably the perfect way to get your entire security deposit back is to put yourself in your landlord’s shoes. Try to remember the condition the property was in when you moved in, and aim for that same level of cleanliness once you choose to move out. To make everything clear, ask your landlord what their definition of “clean” is. You should also realize that the next tenant wants to live in a safe and clean house, so leaving it the way you would like it if you were moving in is a good rule of thumb.

Tip #4: Don’t Leave Stuff Behind

It is very simple for tenants to abandon personal property they no longer need or want in a rental house. But it will not take too much effort to drag your unwanted junk to the curb or drop it off at a charity thrift shop. In addition, if you leave your things on the property, the landlord will likely charge you for clean-up and removal of the items. That means that a smaller security deposit will return to you.

Tip #5: Go the Extra Mile

In the anxiety of moving out, it may be tempting to do the minimum amount of cleaning while cutting corners wherever you can. While this may be fine in some situations, in several different scenarios, that approach will lead to deductions from your security deposit for cleaning and repairs. If there’s an opportunity, take a little more time to address cleaning opportunities. Fill nail holes with drywall putty, for example, or make sure you’ve cleaned interior windows and dusted the blinds and ceiling fans.

By getting these move-out cleaning tips, you leave your landlord with very little to complain about and no reason not to give you your full security deposit back in regards to cleanliness.

Are you looking for a new rental? Real Property Management Boise has the perfect home for you. Check out our listings online or call us at 208-494-1800.

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