If you’re like most Cedar Park renters, you don’t worry too much about how to clean your rental house when you move out. Until that exact moment comes and you begin to think about how to get your security deposit back. To be eligible to gain a full refund, most landlords expect you to leave the house as spotless as you can get it. In order to achieve that, you need to face some challenges. However, by using these five expert cleaning tips, you will greatly enhance your chances of getting your security deposit back after you’ve moved out.
Tip #1: Read Your Lease
If you want to find cleaning tips, your lease may not answer all your questions. 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 some instances, you’ll find significant information, for instance, whether you should have the carpets professionally cleaned, which places in the house will be assessed, 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 are leaving. However, even if yours didn’t, you can still discover many useful cleaning checklists online. It’s better to use a checklist as you clean to guarantee that you don’t miss anything, 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 vital to get a checklist.
Tip #3: Think Like a Landlord
One of the most effective ways to get your entire security deposit back is to put yourself in your landlord’s shoes. Push yourself to remember the condition the property was in when you moved in, and aim for that same level of cleanliness when you decide to leave the house. If you’d like to be sure, ask your landlord what their definition of “clean” is. It will be nice if you note that every tenant would want to live in a beautiful house, so leaving it the way you would like it if you were moving in is a good rule of thumb.
Tip #4: Don’t Leave Stuff Behind
It’s very common for tenants to abandon personal property they no longer need or want in a rental house. But it will not take too much effort to drag your unwanted junk to the curb or drop it off at a charity thrift shop. Furthermore, if you left your belongings on the property, the landlord will likely charge you for clean-up and removal of the items. That spells a smaller security deposit coming back to you.
Tip #5: Go the Extra Mile
In the difficulty of moving out, it may be tempting to do the minimum amount of cleaning while cutting corners wherever you can. In some situations, that may be useful, but in the majority of cases, that approach will lead to deductions from your security deposit for cleaning and repairs. If there is a chance, try to give yourself a little more time to look at some 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 using these move-out cleaning tips, your landlord will provide you good reviews, and they will not hesitate to give your full security deposit back in regards to cleanliness.
Are you looking for a new rental? Real Property Management All Connect has the perfect home for you. Check out our listings online or call us at 512-806-0606.
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