mk t need help to clarify doubt about: : Any tips on how to best clean my apartment and get most of my deposit back?
I will be moving out of my apartment at the end of this month and I was wondering if anyone had any tips on cleaning up. I’ve lived here for 14 months, with two dogs who went through potty training and using my carpet. I also had a brother spill red kool-aid and not tell me until now (He moved my couch over it months ago)
Other than the main carpet issue everything else is normal wear and tear, scuffed up dirty looking walls, dirty fridge and countertops, etc.
Any help would be appreciated!!
Try this:
Answer by Mother knows best!
you begin by cleaning the kitchen ,as you empty the cupboards Wash them down with Pine sol and when those are all done ,move the stove to clean the sides and behind and the floor ,clean the oven and stove until spotless, ,wash the walls down , to remove any stain from the walls and dust. wash the window and floor and if you have a ceiling fan wash that as well. Then you do the same in the bathroom , collect all the garbage in a bag ,this way you purge and clean at the same time , leave the bathroom spotless, rent a steam cleaner and spray some spot remover on the stains than steam clean the carpet all the way ,keep the windows open if the weather is nice . If you leave the apartment spotless and odor free you stand a better chance of getting your deposit money back if not they will need that money to clean the place up .
What do you think? Answer below!
Wash windows, floors, baseboards, walls, etc. Clean toilet, tubs, sinks, stove and fridge. Touch up nail holes and if you have the proper color paint you can touch up scuff marks, etc. Vacuum all the carpets. Use stain remover and shampoo if you have to. Be truthful with the landlord about the kool-aid stain….accidents do happen. Good Luck.
What you consider “normal wear and tear” may not be considered NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR by your landlord or the state you live in. Every state is different. By the sounds of it, its kind of groady. I would start by cleaning thoroughly, like your Grandma was going to come and live there after you! Clean out the cupboards, the counter tops, stove, oven, sinks and fridge thoroughly. If the carpet is stinky and stained that is NOT normal, have it cleaned, and if its a small area, I would consider replacing it with something similar, much less expensive than the carpet and padding and installation your landlord will RIGHTFULLY be able to charge you for. While carpet doesn’t last forever, 14 months is short of what I used at a standard in my rental which was 5 years. No court ever refuse me on that one! And one judge thought that was generous after I pointed out that the manufacture had a 20 year warranty (couldn’t use it for commercial purposes) on the carpet that I was precluded from using, as I was paid rent and therefore a commercial enterprise. Floors need to be swept, mopped, and vacuumed, bathrooms cleaned of your skin, soap scum and deposits. Bedrooms should be broom clean and all walls should be patched where pictures were hung, some simple white tooth paste (not the gels!) and if they are showing filth, I would consider wiping them down with a simple cleaning solution of a degreaser and baking soda. Remove all belongings, garbage and so on. Taking pictures of it cleaned, inside of fridge, oven and cupboards with all the doors open and each room is worth doing as a safety measure. Make arrangements to meet with the landlord to return the keys, preferably at the apartment, where both of you can do a walk through and note any discrepancies and put them on a piece of paper that both can sign stating this was cleaned or this wasn’t. Talking to your landlord like he is going to KEEP your deposit and threatening to sue BEFORE you are entitled to your deposit back (in most states a landlord has 30 days to return it to you) is just asking to have a problem. I have had tenants that made arrangements with me prior to leaving, having carpets cleaned, having me meet them at the property and asking IN ADVANCE for a refund of their deposit, as they were leaving the state and needed ir for the next place or utility deposits and I accommodated them, with notice. But anyone who approached me like one poster suggested, would have gotten my lawyers direct line and told to contact him concerning their deposit, and I would not have mailed it one day before my 30 days were up! Leaving a mess and filth behind and expecting to get your deposit back is greedy and foolish. I have had renters who, like your brother, spilled something, had the carpet cleaned, but a no go on the kool aid and we made arrangements to have the carpet replaced at a reasonable cost (I know all the places to go and I know what I had in there and I know I don’t want some piece of crap substituted for my good carpet, but I am reasonable too. One tenant had a carpet guy come in, his kid had spilled orange soda and covered it with a pizza box for 3 days and the carpet guy charged him $ 60. Turns out, it was the same guy I had used in the past and when I contacted him about the stain he agreed to refund the $ 60 to the guy and I got another guy I knew who had just finished a big job and had some very nice carpet that would cover this little area come in and do it for $ 100, so in essence, it was only an additional $ 40 and we solved the problem. But had he jerked me around, and been stupid and took me for a fool, I wouldn’t have called the carpet guy and I wouldn’t have pressed my friend to give me carpet worth 6x the price the price of the cost, just for the carpet. So it pays to be honest and be thorough. Most landlords are honest and are not interested in keeping deposits from good tenants, but yes, I have run into a few who look to take advantage. Do your best to clean it nicely and be proactive, invite him over to look on your last day and ask nicely when you can expect your deposit back, and if you think you have truely done a good job, ask in advance would he consider giving you your deposit after inspecting the unit instead of making you wait. If he says no, deal with it, don’t get stupid. If after the time has passed for getting your deposit back, if it still has not been sent, in my state you had to send a list of items that were charged back to the tenant and a check for the difference, if there was one within that 30 days. I usually did mine right at the 2 week mark, as thats when any painting, cleaning and work would have likely to been completed. If it was simple wear and tear, fine, they got their deposit back. But if they claimed clean carpet that was really piss soaked carpet, they got a bill for the replacement carpet and padding, if they claimed clean fridge and it was filled with maggots, I took pictures and had a cleaning crew come in and de-maggot the fridge and I would send a copy of that bill (I wasn’t obligated to produce the bill, but did it as a courtesy and to keep the animosity down. I have to say, most tenants left their units clean and in order, some even better than that. I NEVER EVER kept any of their deposits, as I think they were most certainly entitled to them. If I had a good tenant, who paid on time and was reasonable, if something was little not right, I would just eat it, within reason, and return their deposit. But idiots, filth mongers and morons who thought I should pay them for leaving stinking, rotting bags of garbage, feces dried on toilets, and maggot infested fridges, did not endear themselves to me. Hope this helps you! Good luck!
A bucket of cleaning solution, a scrub brush, and a few rags will take care of most of your cleaning needs.
Make sure to take everything out of the refrigerator and scrub that thoroughly.
The hood over your stove is probably going to be greasy and dusty. Baking Soda and soap will help fix that.
If your counter tops are REALLY bad and ordinary cleaning solution won’t work, get Soft Scrub or Barkeeper’s Friend and use that.
Take down the shades and globes covering your lights and wash them. Make sure they are thoroughly dry before you put them back.
Consider using a Swiffer to clean the dust and cobwebs off your walls, and use the bucket of cleaning solution to scrub your baseboards and trim.
Don’t worry about dings and marks much: The apartment owner is supposed to have the place repainted between tenants anyway. But do make sure he knows about the pet and Kool-aid issues: That way he can’t honestly say you tried to fib your way out of paying for that damage.
Make sure you document the damage to the place.
Good luck!
If you pay to have the carpets clean, show the receipt, otherwise the landlord can take the cost off your deposit. Scrub walls, especially where they are scuffed, putty holes, and especially around light switches and doors. Dust the baseboards and window sills. Clean out all drawers and cupboard shelves. Sweep and mop the flooring. Dust out all lighting appliances, moths, flies, etc.
Leave nothing that must be thrown away.
Use Edfred on all chrome and shower doors to get rid of calcium deposits. Use window cleaner on all smooth surfaces. Clean all miniblinds.
When you’re all done and everything is clean, use an air freshener like mad in the carpet and drapes.
Take photographs.
If you have a professional to clean it for you show the receipt to the landlord.
first off you must realize that the owner is in business to make money not provide housing.[if you want deposit back you will have to contact Noah Refunt.]
after steam cleaning the carpet [if not a large apt, it may be cheaper to replace the carpet with a similar remnant of as good quality from a carpet installer] any remaining stubborn stains can usually be
resolved with carburetor cleaner spray [NOTE TEST FOR COLOR FASTNESS AND MELTING OF FIBERS IN A SMALL UNSEEN SPOT FIRST] then scrub the counter-tops and appliances until they shine. if you are a smoker it wouldn’t hurt or cost much to scrub the walls with a 50-50 bleach solution then plug any nail or screw holes with tooth paste and touch up with similer paint [get a pint can only] then do a final sweeping after all rooms are clean, record the empty apt with a digital camera and have enlargements made some place cheap [like wal-mart] with 2 copies] put one set in a file folder or in a note book that is marked “CLIENT COPIES” on the cover. after the photo’s have been rubber stamped “COPY” and with a copy of your lease [also stamped “COPY”] now submit them for”approval” when you turn in your key MAKING MENTION THAT ONE OF THE OTHER “SETS” HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TO “YOUR LAWYER” AND THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY STARTED LEGAL PROCEEDINGS AGAINST
THE LESSOR DEPENDING UPON YOUR GETTING THE ENTIRE DEPOSIT BACK.”TODAY”[the “today” part is important]
if you have done your job and the apt. is clean and in good repair and they do not respond favorably take them to court.. get a lawyer if you have to, even if it means the deposit winds up paying for your lawyer, that’s better than having the lessor scam you, he will at least have to pay for his own lawyer and in some states you can also claim “leagle fees”.
[NOTE 2] TIGGER’S CLEANING TIPS WORK.
note to tippy’s mom you sound like a reasonable landlord/manager and you ARE RARE in today’s world of money grubbing corperate owned rental properties, these are the things that that must be done for the lessee to protect themselves
i have seen over and over military families that had to move,[due to orders] and followed their leases to the letter, actually leaving the apartments in better shape than when they arrived still get burnt by unscrupulous landlords/managers. so damn right let the courts figure it out..thats why we have them. as far as the 30 days to refund the deposit , NOT IN MY STATE. it is due when the key’s are returned.
yes it would be nice if the owner/manager lived at the same apts or at least there part of every week day, where some sort of relationship could be established but hey those day’s were over years ago. it’s the tennent’s money [if the terms of the lease are followed] and they are demanding better,.deliver or take your chances in court .if the apt. is clean and in good repair. YOU WILL LOSE. [sic landlords/managers/property owners et al]
BON CHANCES
Your lease should tell you what the charge will be for different cleaning like 25.00 for cleaning oven. Your best bet is scrub it down good plug all holes in walls from nail or screws. Rent a steam cleaner and do the carpet. It will help with the dog smell but probley won’t help with the stain thats going to cost you. good luck