We've signed a rental agreement which starts July 1 and have paid our security deposit equal to one month's rent. We only intend on staying for one year.
Landlord is using a property manager only for the 1st month *only* and then everything is going to be taken over by the landlord himself. When meeting with the property manager to pay a security deposit and sign the lease, we were asked to do a walk through immediately (a couple weeks before we'd take possession of the apartment-loft). There were minor things that were wrong that I just wanted noted but didn't care if they were fixed (like dinged door frames), there were things that I wanted done before we moved in (the painters splashed paint all over the sink, toilet and bathtub, dishwasher's interior was filthy, blinds were broken on one window) and things that absolutely should be fixed (the burner on one stove wasn't working, missing electric plates, etc.)
The PM handwrote a list (I didn't have pen/paper as I wasn't expecting a walkthrough) and emailed a copy to the landlord a couple days later with a cc' to myself. I recalled a couple of other things that he left off the list, and forwarded it to him and the landlord. Since then, I've remembered a couple of other things I had brought up during the walk through that are not on the list, like wanting the old toilet seat cleaned.
We were called by the PM to say that we could move in a few days early rent-free for the remainder of June if we did the cleaning and smaller repairs ourselves. We declined, as we don't have the time. PM said that landlord was going out of town before the beginning of the month and wasn't sure he could get to everything before we moved in but would "try" but couldn't guarantee that he'd be able to hire a cleaning crew before he left - and wondered aloud if the maintenance people would basically be in our way if they weren't told to come out until the 1st.
So...now I'm thinking my new landlord may not be the most responsive or together landlord going. I also do not want to be "one of those" tenants who moans about every little thing. But I do want the security deposit back. (The PM didn't even have a receipt book, but had asked for money order or cash...DH gave cash...I made the PM write a receipt on a scrap piece of paper.)
OK - I do not know if we'll get another walk through or not but we have to pay 1st month's rent on the 1st. I have a camera and plan to take photos of the state of the rental property when we move in.
My question is this - what do I actually need to do to protect our security deposit? If I take pictures, do I keep them until the end of the year if/when we move out? Do I provide a copy immediately to the landlord (or to the PM?) with a list of items still not taken care of and/or things that I just want noted (like the dings on the doorframes). Do I mail a set to myself and leave it sealed? Should I video tape? What things on my list of examples (above) would be unreasonable to expect them to fix? What else should I do to protect the deposit?
Landlord is using a property manager only for the 1st month *only* and then everything is going to be taken over by the landlord himself. When meeting with the property manager to pay a security deposit and sign the lease, we were asked to do a walk through immediately (a couple weeks before we'd take possession of the apartment-loft). There were minor things that were wrong that I just wanted noted but didn't care if they were fixed (like dinged door frames), there were things that I wanted done before we moved in (the painters splashed paint all over the sink, toilet and bathtub, dishwasher's interior was filthy, blinds were broken on one window) and things that absolutely should be fixed (the burner on one stove wasn't working, missing electric plates, etc.)
The PM handwrote a list (I didn't have pen/paper as I wasn't expecting a walkthrough) and emailed a copy to the landlord a couple days later with a cc' to myself. I recalled a couple of other things that he left off the list, and forwarded it to him and the landlord. Since then, I've remembered a couple of other things I had brought up during the walk through that are not on the list, like wanting the old toilet seat cleaned.
We were called by the PM to say that we could move in a few days early rent-free for the remainder of June if we did the cleaning and smaller repairs ourselves. We declined, as we don't have the time. PM said that landlord was going out of town before the beginning of the month and wasn't sure he could get to everything before we moved in but would "try" but couldn't guarantee that he'd be able to hire a cleaning crew before he left - and wondered aloud if the maintenance people would basically be in our way if they weren't told to come out until the 1st.
So...now I'm thinking my new landlord may not be the most responsive or together landlord going. I also do not want to be "one of those" tenants who moans about every little thing. But I do want the security deposit back. (The PM didn't even have a receipt book, but had asked for money order or cash...DH gave cash...I made the PM write a receipt on a scrap piece of paper.)
OK - I do not know if we'll get another walk through or not but we have to pay 1st month's rent on the 1st. I have a camera and plan to take photos of the state of the rental property when we move in.
My question is this - what do I actually need to do to protect our security deposit? If I take pictures, do I keep them until the end of the year if/when we move out? Do I provide a copy immediately to the landlord (or to the PM?) with a list of items still not taken care of and/or things that I just want noted (like the dings on the doorframes). Do I mail a set to myself and leave it sealed? Should I video tape? What things on my list of examples (above) would be unreasonable to expect them to fix? What else should I do to protect the deposit?
