Smart Renters Do A Home Inspection Upon Moving Into That Rental Property
68When you rent a new apartment or home your first act before moving in should be an inspection of your new living quarters. This may keep you from losing your rental and damage deposit when you move out into your home or another rental.
A rental home inspection simply consists of the new renter walking through the property and taking note of any damage left by previous tenants. This could be anything from worn carpeting to small holes in the walls from large nails or screws to peeling paint or a warped floor board. In some cases the landlord will give you a checklist to fill out, but if they don't then you still need to do an inspection for your own benefit and this should if possible consist of both a written list and a video or pictures of any damage you find.
- Dont Agree to Buy Until You Have a Home Inspection
Do you remember the movie the Money Pit? For those of you who have not seen the movie it is the story of a couple who buy the house of their dreams only to find that they need to sink more and more money into home repairs to make the house live-able. - Sedalia
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Go through each room separately and list those places where you have found damage, the date and exactly what the damage is, then take a picture or video of the damages in each room so you have pictorial or video proof that the damage is as you claim. Once you complete your inspection then make a copy of what you have found and give to the landlord and keep a copy for yourself so if there is a dispute later as to whether or not the damage was all ready there when you moved in you have your dated copy and your picture evidence showing the damage and the date you discovered it. By doing this you will not be charged for damage incurred by previous renters or if you are you can go to court and prove that this damage was not caused by you and you get your security deposit back.
Make sure that you note even minor things such as dirty carpets and then if you have the carpet cleaned attach any bill for the cleaning to your copy of the damage sheet so if it becomes necessary you can show that you actually improved the condition of the apartment or house. The same goes for other minor repairs of any problem that existed prior to your moving into the house or the apartment.
By doing a complete home inspection upon your arrival into a new apartment you cannot only keep your deposit safe, but help the landlord in determining which repairs need his immediate attention and which ones are minor enough that they won't interfere with your use and enjoyment of your new temporary home.
