Seriously, its your money! My favorite story ever is the person who got charged for carpet cleaning . . . and she had wood floors. The best part was . . . she was a volunteer at the Tenant Resource Center at the time!!! Seriously, that didn’t fly. Don’t let the landlord take advantage of you, or be the victim of a hectic time of the year and sloppy paperwork. Know your rights! Check out the survival guide for more information.
FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT
- Schedule a check-out time with your landlord, if possible. If there is a dispute about something, it can often be quickly resolved by talking with your landlord in person. For example, you could decide to clean the stove better or just pay the cost for the landlord to do it, or other similar items pointed out during a check-out inspection.
- Fill out a check-out form and make sure you keep a copy. In the City of Madison the landlord is required to furnish you with one; if s/he doesn’t, s/he cannot deduct for cleaning or damages. If you need a check-out form, or a check-in form for your new apartment, download them from TRC’s website at http://www.tenantresourcecenter.org/forms/ for free!
- Clean your apartment. It should be as clean as when you moved in.
- Take photographs or make a video tape if necessary to document the apartment’s condition. Madison landlords are also required to take photos, but in case yours doesn’t, you will have your own valuable evidence of the condition of the apartment.
- Get a disinterested witness (not relatives or roommates) to walk through with you to verify the state of the apartment and its cleanliness; try to get a written statement from them or a future address where they can be contacted should the need arise.
- Forward your mail and leave your new address with your landlord—all correspondence and security deposit returns will be sent to your last known address unless otherwise specified in your lease. Specify in writing how and where to return the security deposit, with all tenants’ names on the agreement.
- When you arrive at your new place, take the time to thoroughly inspect your apartment and document ALL existing damage and wear and tear on your check-in form, so that you won’t be charged for those items when you move out next year. Take lots of pictures!
DON’T JUST THROW YOUR STUFF ON THE CURB
The City of Madison also requests that tenants recycle and remove trash properly as they move out of their apartments. Residents can start placing their full brown trash carts and green recycling carts at the curb as early as Wednesday, August 11. Crews from the Streets Division will be out all day, every day, during the week of August 11-18, so that carts can be emptied and re-filled as quickly as possible. Keep larger metal items separate so they can be recycled. Most appliances, including microwaves, TV’s and computer monitors require a sticker that must be purchased in advance. Check out the City’s website at http://www.cityofmadison.com/streets/collectionmovingout.cfm for complete recycling and trash removal guidelines.
Don’t forget that you can also sell, trade or give away useful items on the Madison Stuff Exchange. Residents of Madison and Dane County can register to use the site at no charge. And of course there is always craigslist and Madison favorite, Freecycle, for selling, trading, giving away, and getting new stuff.
