Information for Tenants of Property Managed By Nesbitt Realty
[wptabs][wptabtitle]Security Deposit[/wptabtitle][wptabcontent]
Within 45 days after you move out of the rental property, your security deposit must be given to you. If there are any deductions, you will be given a written list with the amount of any deductions, damages, and/or charges.
There is no circumstance under which Nesbitt Realty will profit from any portion of your security deposit. The security deposit will go to either the tenant, the landlord (to offset costs) or to people who do work to repair damage or return the property to proper condition.
Our soon-to-be former tenants have often asked, "How much of my deposit am I going to get back?"
The answer is, "As much as you want!"
If you fulfill the terms and conditions of your lease and you follow these move-out instructions, we will be delighted to make no deductions for repairs or cleaning (other than prior agreed to amounts). If you leave a damaged and dirty property with trash for us to deal with, your deposit return statement will reflect that. So it's entirely up to you.
Your security deposit never benefits Nesbitt Realty or the landlord. Any deductions which are made are to pay for expenses and do not represent profit or gains for the landlord or Nesbitt Realty.
Because Nesbitt Realty never gets any security deposit money, it's out preference that the money go to the tenant. We've posted these areas of concern because this is what most often causes tenant's to lose money.
Nesbitt Realty processes and mails deposit refunds when we close out monthly books. We will send you a full accounting in writing. We cannot give you a partial or early accounting over the phone. If you have not already provided us with your forwarding address in writing, please do so immediately - it must be in writing.
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[wptabtitle]Typical Deductions[/wptabtitle][wptabcontent]
Carpet
Your lease requires that the tenant professionally clean your carpet. Do not clean the carpet yourself. Hire a professional and give us the receipt as evidence that you hired a professional.
If you do not have the carpet cleaned, we will have your carpet professional cleaned upon your move-out and the cost plus a $25 handling fee will be deducted from your security deposit.
Pets
If there is or ever was a pet in your property, you must have the property treated for fleas, whether you think there are fleas present or not. This must be done by a professional company.
If you do not do this then the actual cost plus a $25 handling fee will be deducted from your deposit along with the carpet cleaning cost as described above, per your lease agreement.
Please pick up all pet droppings from the yard before you leave, otherwise we hire a “pooper scooper” service to do this and deduct the cost from your deposit.
Utilities
Pursuant to your lease agreement, leave all utilities on through the end of your lease term, regardless of whether you move out sooner. Most leases end the last day of a month, so schedule your utilities to go off on the first day of the following month.
Otherwise, we will have the service reinstated and you will be charged turn-on fees, the cost of which will far surpass any savings you may realize by turning utilities off too early.
Cleaning
Moving is a very tiresome event. Please consider carefully whether you will have the time and energy, after moving, to properly clean your place. Most commonly, tenants have every intention of leaving the property clean, usually boasting to us, “it will be cleaner than when we moved in”. But then those same folks simply run out of time or are too exhausted after hauling boxes. They blow off the final clean and walk away figuring their deposit will cover the cleanup costs.
This leaves us scrambling to get things handled at the last minute before the new tenant moves in. The problem is compounded when utilities have been turned off. You will suffer financial consequences if this happens. Nothing will consume your deposit more than your failure to return the property good and clean.
Please consider hiring a cleaning service if you don't know for sure that you are going to be able to return the property to us in a good and clean condition. We will charge a minimum $100 coordination fee, plus $75 per trip for re-inspections, meeting vendors at the property, etc. on top of the actual costs of cleaning and repairs if you leave unfinished cleaning and trash hauling.
Call us if you’d like a recommended cleaning service.
Repairs
Please take this moment to think about anything that may need attention at your property that you have not previously reported to us. Do you have toilets that run? Do all the appliances work properly? Have you caused damage to the property that needs repair? If you think of anything, please let us know in writing so we won't be surprised by it after you move out.
Do Not Spackle
Please DO NOT fill nail holes in your walls with spackle unless you have the capability to match the paint perfectly and make it appear as if there are no holes in the wall. If the walls need to be repaired it will be cheaper to do it once, that to gouge out or repaint an amateur repair job.
Trash
You must take all of your trash and belongings with you. Do not leave your trash can full. Do not leave trash stacked at the curb. If you do, we will send a hauling company to remove it and you will be charged for the cleanup. There will be a minimum $75 hauling charge to remove any trash or items that you leave behind.
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[wptabtitle]Keys[/wptabtitle][wptabcontent]
Keys and Forwarding Address
All keys must be returned to Nesbitt Realty by 5PM on your move-out date. Leave any garage door devices inside the property in a kitchen drawer. Returning the keys constitutes the formal act of “surrendering possession” back to the landlord. Make sure you leave us a forwarding address in writing.
We are required by Virginia Residential Landlord Tenant Act to return your deposit to this address.
Nesbitt Realty will never meet tenants at the property to collect the keys or perform a final walk-through. After you surrender possession you will not have a “second chance” to re-enter the property to correct items you forgot or missed.
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Trip Charge
Our hope is to return the maximum amount to you. Our preference is that you clean up any messes. However, if your mess requires the property manager to let people in or coordinate activities you will be charged a coordination fee (usually $50 to $100) and a trip charge (usually $75). To avoid this pay special attention to:
- Cleaning
- Utilities
- Repairs
- A/C Filter
- Trash Hauling – DO NOT leave trash at your curb or in your garage.