How to Handle a Security Deposit Dispute
When a tenant disputes your deposit deductions, the outcome comes down to your records and your deadline. Here is how to handle a dispute, step by step, and how to win one.
William H. MasonJune 18Security Deposits
Itemizing deductions, handling disputes, and keeping dispute-ready records so deposit decisions are clear and defensible.
Most recent articles in Security Deposits
William H. MasonJune 18
Itemizing Security Deposit Deductions So They Hold Up
A deposit deduction is only as strong as the itemized statement behind it. Here is how to build each line so it survives a dispute: the damage, the dated proof, the real cost, and the deadline.
William H. MasonJune 18
Move-In vs Move-Out: Documenting the Difference That Wins a Deposit Dispute
A deduction is never about how the unit looks at move-out. It is about how much it changed. Here is how to document both walkthroughs so the difference between them is obvious and holds up.
William H. MasonJune 18
Normal Wear and Tear vs Damage: A Landlord's Line-by-Line Guide
You can deduct from a deposit for damage, not for normal wear. Here is the line between the two, surface by surface, and how to document which one you are looking at.
William H. MasonJune 18