Discount Diva
Photos help to recoup security fee
If there’s anything I’ve learned after years of renting, it’s that landlords use a lot of sneaky excuses to hang onto your security deposit. Forgot to clean the inside of the stove? Chalk up $60 for cleaning labor. Leave an old bathmat hanging over the side of the tub? That will be another $35 for removal.
That’s why I was so psyched to read the phenomenal new book “10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.” In it, the writers of personal finance blog www.WiseBread.com outline 20 tips for retrieving your security deposit from tight-fisted landlords. Here are a few of them:
• Before you move in, go through each room documenting on paper and in photographs any existing damage or wear and tear. That includes the knife marks in the kitchen counters where someone neglected to use a cutting board and the dent in the plaster where the closet doorknob hits the wall. Have your landlord sign off on everything so you can’t be blamed for it later.
Be sure to keep track of that stuff. Small Claims Court judges love meticulously detailed and dated documents.
• If any part of the apartment or its appliances breaks or gives out due to normal wear and tear, it’s up to your landlord to fix it. If that doesn’t happen and you have to do it yourself, save receipts, take before and after pictures and bill your landlord immediately.
• When it’s time to move out, ask your landlord for a detailed checklist he or she will use to inspect each room. Go through and address each item one at a time, checking it off as it’s completed. Take pictures of your handiwork.
• If the landlord tries to keep all or part of your money, demand an itemized list of charges. If the landlord charges you for the replacement of something—such as the washing machine you ruined during that tie-dye experiment—you are not liable for purchasing a brand new one unless the one you ruined was new when you moved in. Instead, you’ll be responsible for paying the depreciated value.
• If you disagree with the charges your landlord has made, dispute them. Some landlords just don’t expect a fight. Be sure all communication is polite, professional and done in writing. Make copies of everything and send it by certified mail. If you intend to take Mr. Roper to Small Claims Court, let him know.
• If you deal with a crooked landlord, warn the rest of the world about it. This is easier to do now than ever, thanks to the advent of online customer reviews on Web sites such as www.Yelp.com . Name names. Give details. Don’t make it any easier for him or her to take advantage of the next poor sap.
• If you live in an apartment building with six or more apartments, your landlord is required to hold your security deposit in trust. Any interest accrued on the deposit belongs to you. If your landlord fails to return your deposit with earned interest, go to the New York State Attorney General’s Web site at www.Oag.State.Ny.Us to print out a rent security complaint form. You can also call (800) 771-7755 to request a copy. Share your money-saving tips on the MoneySmart blog at www.BuffaloNews.com/MoneySmart .
You can also e-mailmoney@buffnews.com or call the Money- Smart consumer hotline at 849-4618.
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