What is Considered NORMAL wear and tear in a Rental Unit?
There is no normal “wear and tear,” despite popular belief amongst tenants. If you want your entire security deposit back, the home needs to be returned in the same condition you received it in – the carpet, the paint, even the lawn. Anything that needs to be repaired, replaced, cleaned or repainted in order to rent out the property to the next tenants, will be charged back to you and deducted from your deposit. While you may not have done a walk-thru with the original management company, they probably performed one on their own before you ever moved in. Most likely, they will have pictures and some type of inspection report noting the condition of the interior and exterior of the home. This information will have been forwarded to the new management company. You don’t say which state you are in, but in California, tenants are now entitled to a free pre-move out inspection. That means someone from the management company will come and inspect the property and give you a report of anythin
