It is essential that you take photographs of the premises just before you leave to show that the apartment is empty of all trash and that it is in clean undamaged condition. It is especially difficult in court to objectively reflect the condition of the premises after you leave without photographs. Photographs are objective. It would also be good advice to take photographs of all of the things listed below when you first move-in to show the actual conditions versus the condition the landlord claims. At the very least, do a written detailed move-in inspection (SAVE A COPY) and then take the photographs when you leave. See the section of the website that deals with move-in inspections. Photographs can end up saving you literally thousands of dollars in cleaning and damage charges after you leave.
Carpet-Make sure you take detailed photographs of the carpet including any damage that preexisted your tenancy or that occurred during your tenancy. Take photographs of the carpet in every room that is carpeted. Be sure to include photographs of stains as well as holes and unraveling or other damage to the carpet. Try to take photographs of the high traffic areas to show that those areas are worn as opposed to dirty. It is always suggested to you have the carpet professionally cleaned or to lease a steam clean to clean the carpet yourself. Please remember to save receipts. Also take photographs of the cleaning. Some leases will indicate that the carpet must be professionally cleaned when you leave. If you have pets, see if you can get a carpet person to do an examination for pet stains and odors.
Flooring-Take photographs of the flooring if there is no carpet. This will be especially helpful to show that the flooring is not excessively scratched especially if you have pets. Make sure that you take photographs of any linoleum that is usually in the kitchen, bathrooms and possibly the laundry rooms.
Windows-Make sure you take photographs of the window ledges as well as the windows themselves. Some landlords charge for dirty ledges and windows. You will want to make sure that you are able to show that none of the glass panes or fretwork is broken. Try to also take photographs of the screens so that you cannot be charged for any missing or damaged screens.
Blinds/Draperies: If the premises came with either blinds or draperies, you will want to make sure you take photographs of those to show that they are still there and that they are not damaged. You will want to take photographs of the blinds/draperies partially closed to show that they are not damaged.
Walls-Take photographs of the overall condition of the walls. Some landlords will indicate that there are "excessive" holes as an excuse to charge the tenant for painting, which is usually considered to be ordinary wear and tear. Please keep in mind that before you do any type of painting of the premises when you move in or move out, you must seek the landlord's permission to do so. Some landlords will allow you to paint rooms as long as the rooms are painted back to the original color when you leave. Some leases prohibit putting nails or tacks in the wall. You need to read your lease carefully prior to doing any decorating to see if there is going to be a problem.
Light bulbs-Take photographs in every room that has a light fixture with the light fixture on to show that there were working light bulbs when you left. Landlords will usually charge anywhere from $50 up to $100 to change light bulbs, which is usually found by the courts to be excessive. Please remember to put on your move-in inspection sheet any of the lighting that is not working or any of the light bulbs which are out. Also, make sure that you test the ceiling fan before you leave to insure that it is working. Consider taking photographs of the outside light fixtures with the lights on. Some landlords try to charge for those lights also.
Filters-Remember to change the filters before you leave. Most leases now require this. The types of filters you normally need to change are heating and air conditioning filters. Take photographs of the new filters and save the receipts to show that you did as the lease instructed.
Doors-If you have pets, make sure you take photographs of the backs of all the doors to show that your pet did not scratch or ruin the paint or the wood work. You will also want to take photographs of the trim work throughout the rooms to further show that your pet did not ruin any of the woodwork. Take photographs of the carpet to show that the pet did not scratch, stain or fray the carpet. Take photographs of the doorstops and/or any hooks behind the doors.
Kitchen-Take photographs of the top of the stove, inside the oven, and underneath the stove top as well as the backsplash. You will also want to lift the stove top up and clean underneath. It is also suggested that you replace the aluminum cups underneath the electric eyes of the stove. It is relatively cheap and does help with the overall clean appearance of the kitchen. The landlords will charge anywhere from $10 to $40 to do that when the four aluminum cups cost less than $2 if you buy them yourself from any hardware store. Please save your receipts for that.
Bathrooms-Take photographs in detail around all fixtures in the bathroom to show that they are clean and free of mold and mildew. Take photographs underneath the vanity to show that it was left clean and empty. Take photographs of the toilet paper holder and towel bars to show that they are present. Do not forget to take photographs which include the bathroom lights.
Bedrooms-Take overall photographs in each of the bedrooms of the walls and carpet to show that they are clean and not damaged. Take photographs with the closet doors open to show that all of the hardware is there and that there is no trash. Remember to take photographs of the windows and blinds/draperies (both open and closed) in each of these rooms also.
Fireplace-If you have a fireplace, please make sure that you take photographs in detail around the fireplace to show that there is no damage to the carpet and to show that the fireplace was left clean of any debris so that you do not get charged for the cost for cleaning the fireplace.
Yard work-If your lease calls for yard work, please make sure that you take photographs of the yard in detail prior to leaving. This is especially true in the fall so that you can show you raked the leaves even though more will probably continue to fall after you leave. If it is summer or spring make sure that you take photographs of the yard after you cut the grass one last time before leaving. Make sure there is no trash or other debris in the yard.
Trash-Make sure all trash is removed from the premises and placed in the correct place. Please realize that even if you put the trash on the curb, if it is a lot, the landlord may remove it themselves and charge you or the city may charge you for large item removal. You may want to call the city prior to leaving to find out when they are next going to do large trash pickup so that there is not a separate charge for that. You will want to take photographs of any trash that you have left so that you do not accused of having it in the wrong place.
Storage Units/Back Deck-Make sure the storage unit is clean of all of your stored items. Take photographs to show all of your belongings have been removed. Sometimes landlords or prior tenants will have left items in there and you end up getting charged for what is not yours. Try to make note of those items in the move-in inspection. Also make sure the back deck is clear of all trash and other debris.
Witnesses-You will want to make sure that you have several witnesses who live in the area view the premises after you leave and possibly see you as you clean. They need to be local in case they are needed for court.
Photographs-To save money, you may want to hold off on getting the photographs developed until you receive notice from your landlord concerning the security deposit. Please keep in mind that it will be impossible to get back into the premises to take photographs after you have turned in your key. It is too late once you get a letter outlining the charges. Therefore, it is extremely important that you take the photographs before you leave.
Joint Move-out Inspection-Always request that the Landlord do a move-out inspection with one or more of the tenants being present. This is helpful in case the landlord points out anything that they want you to clean or repair before you turn in the keys. It is extremely rare that any of the Wake County landlords will agree to do this, but always make the request.
Keys-Please keep in mind that as long as you retain the keys, you are considered in possession of the premises and are responsible for rent. That means that all the roommates who have keys need to also turn those in. If you have lost your keys, it may end up being cheaper to have the locks changed through the landlord then have to pay prorated rent until the keys are returned. You also can be charged a nominal fee for changing the mailbox keys. Even retaining g the keys a few days after you move-out so that you can go back in and do some repairs or cleaning that the landlord suggested to ensure that you get your deposit back may result in pro-rated rent being charged unless the landlord clearly indicates otherwise.
Forwarding Address-You are required by law to provide to the landlord a forwarding address so that you can receive written notice concerning the status of your security deposit within 30 days of the end of your tenancy. It is strongly suggested that you do this in writing because many times the landlords will indicate that they had no record of the forwarding address even though you orally gave that to them.