When you rent a unit from anywhere in the world, one of your primary concerns would be the condition of the property and the ease of moving out afterwards. Here in New York City, our clients would often ask us about the assurance of getting their full security deposit. For them, they simply want to have a hassle-free experience when renting an apartment.
Are you also looking forward to leasing a property in New York City? Then you have to know the key steps to making sure that you get a full refund for whatever you have shelled out in the beginning according to your contract’s terms.
A. Know you moral and legal responsibilities as a tenant.
The first thing that you have to do is know your moral and legal responsibilities. Renting any property entails full commitment that you will take good care of what was entrusted to you.
What could be your moral responsibility for renting an apartment? It is basically composed of your behavior towards the property and the respect for your landlord’s authority. Yes, you have a rental fee that could be paid periodically; however, your monthly payment does not give you a right to care less about the property.
You also need to have a smooth relationship with you landlord. Respect his authority without undermining your own rights as a tenant. It is only appropriate to build solid and respectable communication lines with him. After all, you are occupying his property and both of you are under a mutual obligation to each other.
Another responsibility is to make sure that you abide by the provisions stated in your lease arrangement. Your legal contract shall not be broken by any means.
B. Exert extra effort in documenting the property.
The next step after understanding your moral and legal responsibilities is to be practical about your approach. Although we always want to act and decide in good faith, exerting extra effort to make sure that things are okay can go a long way.
One of the techniques that you can do in order to make sure that you get the rightful amount of your security deposit is by documenting the property before moving in. Now that technology is very accessible to everyone, you can easily capture images or even record videos of the apartment before moving in. You can also negotiate with your landlord even when your schedules cannot physically meet.
Here are some of the frequently asked questions relating to the documentation of a rental unit:
Is it okay to record videos, take note of the condition, and capture pictures of the rental unit?
Yes, definitely! Just like keeping records of important transactions, taking images and documenting your rented property are definitely wise acts. Often, tenants would not think about doing this at all. They would assume that the landlord has already kept a documentation of the unit which they can show as evidence when taking deposits. Contrary to popular belief, that is not usually the case. Thus, you have to do the documentation by yourself most especially if you have no intention of damaging the property.
Do you know that there are a lot of tenants and landlords who face problems simply because of ambiguous terms and conditions in their contracts? By having a clear documentation of the unit through videos and images, you can have an indisputable evidence that can be shown in cases of personal negotiation and legal mediation.
Surely, you do not want to go through the courts just because of an unreturned deposit, right? Being able to present an evidence to the landlord can help you ease the process of moving out and ascertain the return of your deposit.
Won’t the landlord be offended by the documentation of the apartment? He might take it as a sign of mistrust.
You are living in the real world where unpredictable circumstances may catch you unprepared and in future trouble. Although you care to have a good relationship with your landlord, do not miss out on protecting your own interest.
Do not be afraid that your landlord will take it as an offense. You can surely capture images and video clips of the apartment before actually moving in. Would that be a sign of disrespect? Far from being so.
Once you have taken your own documentation, respectfully forward it to the landlord. Instead of worrying that the landlord would be offended by the action, why don’t you think about it in a positive light? By sending images of the apartment’s condition to your landlord, you are also sending a signal that you are a responsible tenant. It is similar to saying that you are ready to take full responsibility of any damages that may arise from living in the landlord’s property.
How do I forward the images to the landlord without offending him?
Know that different landlords have different personalities. But there is one common ground among all humans – the need for respect.You are not supposed to approach the landlord and complain that his property is in an awful condition. You will not hand him the pictures and speak as if you have gotten a very bad deal. That is definitely not the goal of documentation.
As you have taken videos or images of the place, you could personally approach your landlord or mail him the pictures with a respectful note saying that you have simply documented the unit to properly set a foundation for future reference. It wouldn’t also hurt to assert that you will abide by the contract and take care of the property.
Respectful communication is key to having a good relationship with your landlord. Never fear him nor totally disregard him. Always show that you also have a concern towards the property.
What can be done if i failed to document the property as I moved in?
If you have failed to take images of the apartment before you moved in and have already stayed in the unit for months, then you could simply work towards building a strong landlord-tenant relationship. That is to make sure that you can easily talk to him regarding anything that troubles you as a tenant.
To prevent any possible problem when moving out, it is advised to be proactive in your approach. Before ending the contract, do not hesitate to speak with the landlord and communicate your willingness to make the needed repairs in the apartment. Request that you walk through the unit together and identify the areas or aspects which need to be addressed. Express your desire to bring back the apartment to its condition before you have moved in.
Remember to always end a lease contract without any issue or problem. Refrain from escalating your problems to the court because it could haunt you for life. Once you have found yourself involved in a landlord-tenant case in court, then you may find it difficult to find a rental company or landlord who will accept you as their tenant again.
Making your lease worry-free is definitely possible. Just make sure that you remember to commit to your legal responsibilities as a tenant, offer respectful communication to the landlord, and be practical by keeping documentation of the property’s condition.