Will You Get All of Your Rental Deposit Back, or Is It at Risk?
Posted on: 11 September 2019
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When you moved into your current flat, it would undoubtedly have been in first-class condition, in good repair and spotless. Yet as you are now getting ready to move out and go somewhere new, have you thought about its current condition? Why should you pause for a moment and think about your obligations?
Deposit in Danger
In almost every case, the tenant is required to put down a deposit of some kind whenever they move into a new place. If you read the small print on the contract, then you may see that the landlord has the right to retain some money from that deposit if you leave the flat in a bad condition. The small print may go on to define your obligations in this matter, but if you are to safeguard your interest as much as possible, you should definitely ensure that the place is spotless when you move out.
Cursory Effort
Certainly, you may think that you have made an effort and have vacuumed the carpet, dusted in some hard-to-reach places and cleaned the bathroom, but is this really enough? You may need to think even harder if you rented the property fully furnished, as your deposit may well extend to cover the condition of the furniture.
Down to Detail
How detailed do you have to be? Certainly, you need to steam clean the carpets, as a straightforward vacuum job will not do. You will need to look carefully at the walls and the skirting boards to look for any scuff marks before trying to clean them carefully. If they won't wash off, then you may need to paint over them in the same colour and should take care to ensure that you match this up.
Have you looked at the condition of the ceiling fans? These may have been on constantly, but if you turn them off and allow them to come to a halt, you will see just how dirty they can be. This is quite a significant cleaning job in its own right, and you should ensure that you perform this task in every room.
Better Approach
When you remember just how clean the entire property was when you moved in, you will now begin to see the scale of your challenge ahead. Most people in your situation will bring in a contractor who handles end-of-lease cleaning and you should probably do the same so that you can retain as much of your deposit as possible.