In some provinces, whenever you move into a new place and sign a lease, you are required to pay a damage deposit. In this week’s blog, we want to discuss steps you can take to make sure you get your entire damage deposit back once you move out.

Clean your apartment regularly

If you do not clean the apartment on a regular basis, dirt and dust will start to build up and this can lead to stains and odours that may be difficult to get rid of. Once that happens, your landlord may be in a position to use your damage deposit to solve these problems once you move out. If cleaning is difficult for you because you do not have the time, consider hiring cleaning professionals if you can afford it.

Report any problems immediately

If you notice any problems with appliances or the unit in general, let your landlord know immediately. The sooner you identify and solve these problems, the better. If you don’t solve them early enough, they may turn into bigger problems that require time and money to resolve.

Pet proof your place

If you have a pet, make sure you take the necessary steps to pet proof your unit. To most people, pet proofing means protecting your pet from any hazards, but pets can do a lot of damage to the apartment if you’re not careful, and this could eat into your damage deposit.

Make sure you pay your rent and bills on time and in full

This is something you want to do in general to make sure you keep a good credit score in the long run, but if at the end of your lease you have unpaid bills or rent, your landlord may be in a position to use your damage deposit to pay these off. 

Winter proof your apartment

There are certain things you need to keep in mind during winter to make sure your apartment is safe and well maintained. In one of our previous blogs, we discussed winter proofing your apartment, but the main thing to keep in mind here is making sure the winter conditions do not lead to damage. A good example of this is frozen pipes. Not only will this damage your apartment but it could also lead to damage in other units. If that happens, you will not only lose your damage deposit, but you may need to use insurance to pay for repairs in other units.

Keep a copy of the original move in inspection

When you’re moving out, you’ll most likely do a move out inspection. If you have a copy of the move in inspection reports on hand, it will help you differentiate between new, pre-existing and recurring problems. 

Make sure you keep pictures of any damage

Last but not least, if you notice any other damages, take pictures. A picture is worth a thousand words, and could save you a thousand dollars. If you notice something is wrong, take a picture of it, that way you have visual evidence and a date associated with the damage. Ideally, these damages would be identified during the move in inspection, but if anything is missed, this would be the best way to deal with it.

These are all good tips to help make sure you get your damage deposit back, but it will also help you maintain a good relationship with your landlord. This is important because you may need them as a reference in the future. We’ve added hyperlinks to security deposit policies for most provinces i.e. Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in case you want to do some more research. If the links do not work or are out of date, please head over to your provincial government website and search for security or damage deposit.

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