If you’re like most Burbank renters, you don’t worry too much about how to clean your rental house when you move out. That is until the day comes, and you start thinking about wanting to get your security deposit back. To gain a full refund, most landlords expect you to leave the house as spotless as when you got it. But doing that poses some real difficulties. Nonetheless, by using these five expert cleaning tips, you will essentially enhance your odds of getting your security deposit back after you’ve moved out.
Tip #1: Read Your Lease
Maybe your lease can’t answer all of your questions if you want to find cleaning tips. However, 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 other scenarios, you’ll seek a response to concerns, for example, whether you need to have the carpets professionally cleaned, which places of the house will be reviewed, and more.
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 intend to leave. However, even if yours didn’t, you can find loads of helpful cleaning checklists online. It’s advantageous if you use a checklist as you clean to make sure that you do not forget everything, both inside and out in the yard. Even small cleaning tasks missed might add up to big deductions on your security deposit, that’s why it is important to have a checklist.
Tip #3: Think Like a Landlord
One of the best ways to get your entire security deposit back is to put yourself in your landlord’s shoes. You must remember the condition the property was in when you moved in, and aim for that same level of cleanliness after you left the house. If you want to be sure, ask your landlord what their definition of “clean” is. It would be great if you remember that every tenant would love to live into a comfortable home, so leaving it the way you would like it as if you were moving in is a good rule of thumb.
Tip #4: Don’t Leave Stuff Behind
It’s all too normal for tenants to abandon personal property they no longer need or want in a rental house. But it is not a very big effort to drag your unwanted junk to the curb or drop it off at a charity thrift shop. Moreover, if you leave your junk on the property, the landlord will likely charge you for clean-up and removal of the items. That spells a smaller security deposit that will be returned to you.
Tip #5: Go the Extra Mile
In the uncertainty of moving out, it may be tempting to do the minimum amount of cleaning while cutting corners wherever you can. In other scenarios, that may be effective, but in most cases, that idea will lead to deductions from your security deposit for cleaning and repairs. If there is a chance, try to give yourself a little extra time to go over some of the details. Fill nail holes with drywall putty, for example, or make sure you’ve cleaned interior windows and dusted the blinds and ceiling fans.
By complying with these move-out cleaning tips, you will get positive feedback from your landlord, and they have no reason not to deliver your full security deposit back in regards to cleanliness.
Are you looking for a new rental? Real Property Management Tri-Cities has the perfect home for you. Check out our listings online or call us at 509-572-5440.
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