The Deposit. Hey, that’s your hard earned money you’re expecting to get back at the end of your lease term. Well a year later, not only are you not getting your deposit back but you will be lucky if you don’t end up owing the management company! How could this be? Having lived in numerous apartments and housing around Austin, Texas, I have accumulated 10 easy tips which could potentially help you receive back your FULL deposit.

1. Inventory Condition Form - The Inventory Condition Form (move-in form) is listed number one and for good reason. This piece of paper is your single most influential factor in getting your FULL deposit back.  The Inventory Condition Form can be your best friend or your worst enemy depending on how much attention you choose to give it.  I lived with an attorney one year and our inventory condition form was 3 pages (front and back).  It was so in depth that the management complex had to come to our apartment to take pictures. Now while this is an extreme example, I would definitely recommend on fully filling out your Inventory Condition Form.  I talk more about this issue in another article which is purely devoted to this form.  You can check it out at http://www.utluxuryapartmemts.com.

2. Take Pictures - This should follow up after filling out the Inventory Condition Form. This is especially important if there are things not to your satisfaction or questionable in your opinion.  Bottom line is you need proof and nothing proves your point better than a couple of snapshots and filing them for later.

3. Maintenance Request – I can’t say this enough.. report anything that brakes. Seems simple enough? You would be surprised by how many college students don’t report broken items to be fixed.  Typically students just let the object stay broken until the end of their lease term. The students are then fined, which could have been eliminated if they had notified maintenance the moment it happened. An agreement could have been reached for a fraction of the cost that can accrue later.

4.Get An Apartment with Wood Floors or Stained Concrete - This has the potential of being one of the largest charges against your deposit.  If you can avoid it, why not?  If  wood floors or stained concrete are an option... Go for it!  Worrying about your carpet getting dirty shouldn’t be a concern.

5. Take Shoes Off - So let’s say you don’t have the option of wood floors or stained concrete. Or maybe you just really want that cozy and warm feeling that only carpet can give you... Well then take your shoes off!  Try walking barefoot on the carpet or just in your socks.  Believe me, after a full year this makes the world of a difference on the wear and tear your carpet will endure.

6.) Vacuum/Steam Clean - This is very straight-to-the-point. If you have carpet, you need to vacuum the carpet.. DAILY! You also need to steam clean bi-weekly, unless you spill something which you should steam clean the area immediately. These steps along with keeping your shoes off the carpet will eliminate about 90% of your wear and tear on the carpet.

7.  The Pre-emptive Walk-through – Two months prior to your move out, you should request a pre-emptive walk through.  Why would you do that? Because this will give you an idea on what the management plans to charge once you have moved out. It’s so easy to have it done! Just have management walk through your apartment and put in writing, NOT verbally, what might be deducted from your deposit.

8. Try to Leave A Full Day for the Apartment to be Empty – I say this because if you’re like 80% of most Americans, you try to move everything out on one day. Let’s be honest, you know this includes you! We’re all guilty of it. Why not, next time, move everything out a day early if possible? This way the following day you can look through your apartment with a clear head. I guarantee you the cleaning you do will be a lot more effective rather than after you are exhausted from moving.

9. Combat Authority – Once in an apartment complex where I lived, at move-out time , management decided to try to charge us for routine cost of getting a new door and a new doorbell. The cost for these “routine maintenance” charges? …$550.  I don’t think so! Remember, more often than not, management is here to make money and believe me there is A LOT of money to be made during move-out time.  If more people are passive than they are active, management is going to write up all kinds of unscrupulous charges from changing a door to a $200 fee for changing every light bulb. No thanks! Combat Authority!  Question every single charge you even think is questionable.  Make them earn these charges.

10. Leave a Permanent Return Address – This is probably the easiest of all the steps but could be arguably the most critical. Upon moving out, it is YOUR responsibility to leave a permanent return address for the management complex to mail your deposit.

So there you have it! 10 easy steps to helping you get your full deposit back.  I’m sure there are other steps that could also help and I welcome them to be listed as well. If you found this article insightful then check out my other tips about west campus apartments at http://www.utluxuryapartments.com/latest-blog-posts.

Good luck to you and see you at move out!