The Number One Important Thing You Can Do To Protect Yourself As A Renter On Move In Day

It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement or relief of finally moving into your new apartment, that sometimes we power through some of the most critical steps as renters. So what do you need to be aware of? What’s the one thing you can do to protect yourself as a renter on move in day?

It’s important that you check the unit with attention to detail when you move in. Take your time to complete the move in inspection checklist you are given on the day. By law it needs to be handed in within 7 days of your move in date, but don’t rush it just because you are eager to start the process. If you don’t write something down in that first couple of days and later on find out something happened before you moved in, that will likely be deemed as your responsibility and will be deducted from your security deposit when you leave. Take your time, note anything of concern and chat it through with your property manager/landlord before moving in.

    Additionaly, here are a couple other tips to ensure you get your full security deposit back. 

–    Clean your unit regularly – remember that you have to give a security deposit for a reason. The maintenance baseline that 15 minutes of cleaning every week gives you could be the difference between needing to replace carpets and appliances and will mean more money in your pocket in the long run.The most common items that we would recommend cleaning regularly are appliances and tubs. 

–    Report any damages or maintenance requests right away, as and when they come up. We did a mini blog post on this here: Clean Your Unit Regularly   

–    Make sure you don’t owe any rent. As long as there is no rent owed and no damages, you should be on track to receive your full security deposit back at the end of your lease.

Got questions!? Reach out to us or comment below!
– WMC