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Moving is a tough business and can be expensive between new deposits, new furniture, removals and anything else you may need to move to a new place. You’ll want to make sure that you recover your security deposit to help give you the best start in your new place financially, but with some landlords being fussy, and at times, unfair about giving a bond back, here are some tips to help put you in the best position for getting your security deposit back when you move out.
Make sure that all your rent is paid up
It can be easy to fall behind on rent, especially when you’re transitioning from one place to the next. Doing so will mean that there is nothing your landlord can hold against you to not pay your security deposit back regarding rent arrears. If you want to ensure a good reference in the future as well, you’ll want to stay on good terms with your current landlord, and not leave a bad taste in their mouth.
Fix or replace damaged items
While some damage and wear and tear are expected, things that have been damaged through poor care will come out of your security deposit unless they’re fixed or replaced. If you’re no good at doing these things yourself, you may want to hire a handyman to take care of things like broken hinges and crooked drawers. If you’ve never done it before, these tips on hiring a handyman will help you out. A handyman will likely cost you a lot less than your landlord will charge you to take it out of your security deposit.
Get your place deep-cleaned
Dust on the skirting boards, dirty kitchen cupboards – they can all go against you when it comes to recovering your security bond. Some of the best money you can spend is to get your place deep-cleaned, and professionals like Whizz Bond cleaning service will cover everything to make sure there’s no cause for complaint when you do move out. It will also save you a huge job so that you can get focused on packing instead.
Settle the rest of the bills when you leave
Electricity, gas and water, cable and all of your other bills need to be settled when you leave so that your landlord doesn’t have to deal with the letters from collectors after you’ve gone. There’s usually a waiting period between receiving your security deposit and when you move out, and any unpaid bills that are left could mean that they’re deducted from your outstanding amount. This handy moving out list for tenants can make sure you cover off everything that needs to be covered off. There’s no point trying to get around it or try to pull a fast one, as it’ll only come back to bite you later on.
Good planning will make sure that you have done everything you can to avoid losing your security deposit. As you settle into your new place and unpacking makes it difficult to cook, you may want to try some delicious Top Chef Meals so that you can enjoy healthy, tasty dishes without the hassle as you settle into your new place.
