Before you carry a single box into a new rental, take photos and video of every room, including damage that’s already there, and send copies to your landlord that day. That dated record is your proof if the landlord later tries to charge your security deposit for a stain or scratch you didn’t cause.
State deposit laws typically let a landlord deduct for rent or other charges you owe, cleaning the unit back to how you found it, and damage you or your guests caused. Ordinary wear and tear doesn’t count, and neither does anything that was already there.
The catch is proof. At move-out, a stain on the bedroom carpet looks the same whether you made it or the last tenant did. Without a move-in record, it’s your word against the landlord’s.
Say that stain was there on day one and the landlord deducts $400 to clean the carpet. A dated move-in photo of the same spot is the evidence that gets the $400 back.
Before you move anything in:
- Walk through every room with your phone recording video, and describe each flaw out loud.
- Photograph floors, walls, appliances inside and out, fixtures, and windows, then take a close-up of every flaw and a wide shot that shows where it is.
- Send the files to your landlord the same day, so the date doesn’t rest on your phone alone.
- Fill in the landlord’s move-in checklist with the same detail, make sure you both sign it, and keep a copy. In Washington, a landlord can’t even collect a deposit without a signed and dated checklist.
At move-out, clean first, then photograph the same rooms from the same angles.
Look up your state’s rules before you hand back the keys. Nearly every state sets a deadline for returning the deposit, anywhere from 14 to 60 days, and most require an itemized list of deductions. A landlord who misses either one can lose the right to keep any of it.
If a deduction shows up for something in your move-in photos, dispute it in writing with the photo attached, and file in small claims court if the money doesn’t come back.
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