Move-Out Checklist: Get the Whole Deposit Back

Most deductions are for four things: nail holes, dirty appliances, missing bulbs and batteries, and no proof of the unit's condition. This list closes all four.

30 days before you leave

• Re-read the lease's move-out clause: notice period, cleaning standard, key return, and whether a forwarding address is required in writing.
• Give written notice of your move-out date the way the lease requires. Email plus a mailed letter if you are unsure, and keep a copy of both.
• Ask the landlord in writing for a pre-move-out inspection. Several states require one on request, and it tells you exactly what they would charge for while you can still fix it.
• Pull up your move-in inspection report and photos. Anything already on that list is not your damage.

The final week

• Patch nail holes, replace burnt-out bulbs and smoke-alarm batteries, and clean the oven, refrigerator, and range hood inside and out. These are the most common deductions in every state.
• Do not repaint unless the lease requires it. Scuffs and faded paint are ordinary wear and tear, and a bad paint job can be charged back to you.
• Book a carpet clean only if the lease requires it or there are stains that were not there at move-in.
• Schedule utilities to end the day after you hand over the keys, not before, so the final walk-through has lights and water.

Move-out day

• Photograph every room, inside every appliance, closet and cabinet, with the phone's date stamp on. Then walk through once on video, saying the date out loud.
• Hand over every key, fob, and garage opener and get a signed, dated receipt. If nobody is there, photograph the keys where you left them and send the photo in a message.
• Give your forwarding address in writing, by email and by letter, and keep proof. In several states the return deadline does not start until you do.
• Take a photo of the final meter readings.

After you leave

• Count the days. Your state's return deadline runs from move-out, or from the forwarding address in some states. Write the date down.
• If the deadline passes with no refund and no itemized statement, send a demand letter by certified mail that cites the statute and the penalty. Small claims comes after that, not before.
• Keep everything for at least a year: the lease, the photos, the receipts, and every message with the landlord.

If the deadline passes and the deposit does not arrive, the statute-cited security deposit demand letter is the next step.