Moving Tip of the Week: Getting Your Deposit Back

As your Cincinnati moving company, we deem passing on information to help make your move smoother both important and a responsibility. We've heard horror stories from renters who have lost their deposits from shady apartment complexes. Although not all apartment complexes and managers act in this manner, there are some who are out to take your money and not look back. Here are a few suggestions we've learned along the way to help return that money to your pocket:

• Before moving into your new apartment, be sure to do a walk through with your apartment representative. Also be sure to bring paper to note any items that are damaged or missing in the apartment, and have the apartment representative sign the document noting any problems. Make sure both you and them have a copy. At move out time, they can't charge you if the damage was proven preexisting.

• Before you sign your lease, also request an exit interview for when you move out so that you and the apartment representative can have a walk through before you leave. Many apartments decline you the opportunity for an exit interview so that they can create bogus damage charges. If you are unable to secure an exit interview in writing, it may be a good idea to select a different apartment complex altogether.

• Always ask how old the carpet in your apartment is before you move in and have them provide proof through documentation. Generally, if the carpet is older than 3 to 5 years, you won't be held responsible if it sustains damage through your tenure. Be sure to ask what their protocol for carpet is. If the carpet was five years old when you move in, and they try to charge you for it when you move out, there's a problem.

• Believe it or not, many complexes will charge you if you don't replace any burned out light-bulbs before you leave. If it was working when you moved in, they expect it to be working when you move out.

• If you've hung any pictures during your residency, purchase a $5.00 bucket of "Patch & Paint" and a cheap putty tool from your local hardware supply store. Patching the holes in your apartment can do wonders for your deposit.

• Leave no personal items behind! Anything you leave will incur a garbage or cleaning charge and they tend to add up quick and are costly. Leaving a garbage can or small book case behind could cost you $50.00 or more per item!

• Cleaning is key. Vacuum your carpets, clean your bathroom and kitchens thoroughly, and make certain your floors all look presentable. Any cleaning beyond what the complex deems necessary could be charged back to you.

• Lastly, make sure to repaint or prime your apartment walls if you've painted them while you lived there. Many apartment complexes these days will allow you to paint the walls, but they will also be happy to take your entire deposit if you don't paint them back to their original color or at least prime them. Before signing your lease, check with your representative about their paint policy.

Even though the economy is forecast to improve, we can all still use all the money we can save. We hope these tips can help you out and help put that deposit back in your hand. From all of us at the Move Cheap Cincinnati Movers, we hope your move is a great one!