Moving out of my first apartment after 3 years. Minor wear and tear, but carpet is stained and probably needs replacing (only about 300 sq. ft worth). My question is how much maintainance should I try to do before I move out to maximize the security deposit I get back. Should I pay to have the carpet shampooed? Putty up nail holes in the walls, or does a landlord typically say its not good enough and charges you anyway.
Ralfcoder
Favorite Answer
I would clean the carpet and furniture, if it came with the apartment. Go to a hardware or home improvement store like Lowe's and rent a carpet cleaner. It's a lot cheaper than hiring someone to do it, and it will do just as good a job.
Fill all the nail holes. If the walls aren't white, use a damp sponge to clean off the excess spackling compound.
Clean EVERYTHING - mirrors, carpets, windows, floors, cupboards, counters, the fridge, behind the fridge, toilets, closets, shelves, window ledges, sinks... everything. Dust, too. If you do a good job on everything else, you may not be charged for the stained carpeting.
If it sounds like a ton of work to do this, think of it this way. If your damage deposit is $300, and it takes you 10 hours to clean everything, you're earning $30/hour, tax free this way.