For many college students, every penny counts.
Security and cleaning deposits can often make or break a student’s budget. With some common sense, a few preventive steps and a lot of ongoing cleaning, students have a good chance of getting back all of their deposit.
The level of required maintenance depends upon the residence and the landlord. However, whether a student lives in an apartment, a house or a residence hall, the same basic rule applies: Return it to its original condition.
Moving in
The first preventive step happens at the beginning of a lease. Most property managers have an inspection sheet for tenants to fill out when they move in. If a company does not provide a sheet, students should write their own and give a dated copy to the landlord. Photos taken before anything is moved in are also good records to have.
Charges for damage to common areas are often divided between all tenants, so roommates play an important role when it comes to deposits. Kyle Gray, president of Emerald Property Management, said tenants should try to choose roommates with similar values of cleanliness and responsibility.
During the lease
Tenants can protect their deposits from charges with regular cleaning and general maintenance. Because some landlords may charge for repainting the walls, students should follow the contract rules about smoking and honor restrictions on pets. If pets are allowed, students should treat the residence for fleas before they move out.
Tenants can avoid excessive cleaning charges by taking care of spills immediately. Also, keeping carpet stain remover on hand can be helpful. To avoid damage charges, tenants should notify management, without delay, of any plumbing and electrical problems.
Preparing for inspection
Cathy Engebretson, office manager of Duck’s Village, recommends doing a final “deep” clean of the residence, starting about a month before the tenant moves out.
“Do a couple rooms a week and really scrub it, and clean all those weird places you would never clean normally,” she said.
A deep clean includes getting cobwebs off the ceiling, wiping off the light fixtures, vacuuming the furniture cushions, scrubbing the dirt on the walls and washing the mini-blinds. Tenants should also replace any burnt-out light bulbs and smoke detector batteries.
Gray also said if tenants have excessive holes in the walls from pictures, they should not attempt to cover them without authorization from management.
In bedrooms and living rooms, having a clean carpet is an important factor. Many apartment complexes have vacuums that tenants can check out. Students should consult the property manager if they are considering steam-cleaning the carpet.
The kitchen usually requires the most attention, and the oven tends to be the most problematic feature. Gray suggests spraying oven cleaner a day early so it can soak for a while before the oven walls are scrubbed.
Junior Sunshine Clark recommends cleaning the drip pans under the stove burners.
After deep cleaning, students will have less stress and more success with the inspection.
Yard maintenance
As with other areas of the property, return the yard to its original condition. At the minimum, students should mow the lawn within a day or two before they move. Senior Maren Zieba suggests letting the grass grow longer between mowing.
“It’s much more environmentally sound,” she said.
Tenants should check the rent contract for any specific plant care requirements, such as trimming bushes.
Residence halls
Although students living in the residence halls do not pay a
security deposit up front, they can still be charged for cleaning and damages. If the room’s condition is outside of wear and tear and normal cleaning, there could be a charge, according to Deanna Miller and Sheri Donahoe of University Housing.
Before they move out, students should remove all trash, dishes and concrete blocks. Charitable organizations will have bins in the hall lobbies and common areas where students can leave their unwanted items.
Mutual responsibilities
Tenants who have month-to-month rental agreements should give the landlord a written 30-day notice for when they plan to move. Leasing tenants whose contracts are near expiration should inform the manager in writing about 30 days before their expected move dates. Students need to give their landlord a forwarding address as well.
Once a tenant has moved out, the landlord must return either the full deposit or a written statement for the amount withheld. The Oregon Landlord and Tenant Act states that if the landlord fails to return a statement within 31 days, the tenant can receive up to twice the security deposit. For more information, students can go to the ASUO Legal Services office in Suite 334 of the EMU.
Whether or not the full deposit is returned, the treatment of property is still important.
“Be careful and respectful, whether it’s in a residence hall or an apartment,” Miller said. “Those records will follow you. Lots of places ask for rental references.”
Bethany Larson is a freelance reporter for the Emerald.