Moving into a new Gilbert rental house can be an exciting time. But, it is additionally the perfect chance to do one of the most important things you can do to protect your security deposit: a pre-move-in walkthrough inspection. Despite that some landlords will provide you with a list of things to check in your rental home before you move in, others may not. Even if they don’t require it, you should still perform a walkthrough inspection on your own. In the instance that you need to make the best use of your pre-move-in walkthrough, it’s vital to keep a few key practices in mind.
Get Personal
Nothing could ever take the place of an in-person walkthrough. A helpful and accomodating landlord may say that they have inspected the property for you, but you still need to check everything yourself. Even though most landlords aren’t deliberately trying to trick you, you still may uncover maintenance or other issues that got left out of the report. If you neglect to check each part of your rental property carefully, you could really wind up paying for repairing something that was broken before you moved in.
Use a Checklist
Maximizing your pre-move-in walkthrough suggests inspecting each part of your rental home carefully. To really ensure that you haven’t forgotten anything, use a checklist. Some landlords will provide a checklist for you; others may not. If yours doesn’t, there are plenty of checklists and guides you may download online. Using a checklist is necessary because of the fact it will safeguard your walkthrough is focused and help you make certain you don’t skip anything. Plus, you can use your checklist for comparison after you move out.
Document Everything
A checklist is an important first step in documenting your walkthrough. But making the best use of your pre-move-in inspection implies going somewhat beyond just checking off boxes. To fully protect your security deposit from undeserved repair charges, you need to carefully and thoroughly document each aspect of the property’s condition before you move in. Make a lot of notes, either on the checklist itself or on a separate page. It can help you create a note of condition issues, locations, and so on, no matter how small.
Indeed, most landlords won’t try to charge you to replace an entire kitchen floor for one damaged spot in the linoleum, but some might. One particular appropriate way is to take pictures of the property as you look through it. Make it a point to take as many different close-up and wider shots, and to keep your photos in a safe place.
Report Maintenance Issues
Once done with your walkthrough and documentation, report any maintenance issues you discovered promptly. Broken toilet seats or blinds, leaky faucets, and non-functioning light switches or outlets may seem like no big deal, but if things are broken or not working before you move in, you need to tell your landlord about them immediately. If indeed possible, send your landlord something in writing to ensure that you have proof of the recorded problems or issues. This will not only protect you from unjust accusations but will also protect your security deposit whenever you leave.
Taking full advantage of your pre-move-in walkthrough does take some additional efforts. But it’s worth it. Nothing can safeguard you get all of your security deposit back the same as doing whatever you can to document your rental home’s pre-move-in condition thoroughly.
Are you looking for a new home? Real Property Management East Valley has the one for you! You can browse our listings online or call us at 480-658-0869 for more relevant information.
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