<p>After moving out of my post-college apartment to head to LA, I want to remind everyone to -always- retain all rental documents, take pictures at the time of move in, anytime something significant happens in the apartment (and I’m not talking about personal events, I’m talking about damages that are beyond wear and tear), and when you move out. My landlady has tried to assess me my entire security deposit plus additional damages. </p>
<p>Keep good photos, with overviews and closeups of everything so you can challenge them if your landlord tries to rip off your security deposit. The reason for this is they will often inflict or fabricate damages themselves after you move out as a reason to incur the security deposit. If you have photos contradicting their evidence, you are in the clear and will most likely get your security deposit back if you take them to small claims court. My case is rock solid in my defense, but I figured I’d let you would-be renters know the score and how to protect your nuts so to speak. This is common knowledge but bears repeating! :)</p>
<p>It was in North Oakland on Moss Ave. I won’t say the landlord’s name or the exact address because they could probably sue me. They are trying to charge me for carpet cleaning, paint, appliance cleaning, drape cleaning, mold , and claim I did nothing to clean up the apt before I left. </p>
<p>Ludicrous. They can’t charge you for anything but structural damage and excessive nastiness. (even a dirty toilet and mildew doesn’t qualify) We’re talking throwing feces on the walls, leaving rotting food out, or having totally destroyed the apt.</p>
<p>Just kind of seems to be the last low sucker punch that 2009 / obstensibly the Bay could throw at me. But let’s be serious: Landlords have reps for being crooked, so keep good records of EVERYTHING!</p>
<p>The other thing you could do to protect yourself is to do a formal walk through right before you move in and after you move out. That means you and your landlord walk through the apt/house together, note all the coniditions, agree and sign some form (you can probably find on the web). The “good” landlords usually want to do one. If not, request for one.</p>
<p>Also remember the phrase “contemporaneous with the event”. A picture tells a 1,000 words, but evidence of the date of taking the photo can be a challenge.</p>
<p>What we used to do in the “old” days, which still holds true (one version can be seen in the Movie, “Quiz Show”) is include something “au courant” – especially at move in time in the photo, i.e. a newspaper with the date on it. With digital, these days that little newspaper in a room can be blown up to see the exact date. Then, print photo and add newspaper page with date, and place both in an envelope and mail it to yourself from the post office, certified. The frank mark gives the definitive date. Then put it aside once you receive it and DON’T OPEN IT.</p>
<p>That system also used to be our cheap method of copyrighting original material, like lyrics I used to write that could (and in two instances did) end up becoming the lyrics to a relatively popular tune. Uncontroverted evidence, baby, is the ticket to slam dunk security deposit returns, among many other things of financial value.</p>
<p>Will there be available houses for rent in Berkeley by the end of the semester? My five friends and I are planning on living in Berkeley during the summer since we’re gonna take Summer classes and thought we could rent a year lease that’ll last us through Fall 2010 - Spring 2011. All of the places for rent right now need tenants immediately and we still have housing contracts.</p>