Beating the system

I might have poor comprehension skills, but my interpretation of a deposit is something that you can withdraw or at least something that you can get back. But according to landlords, that is not the case. Their version of the word is to mean that a deposit is something you can kiss goodbye for, by God, you will never see it again.

Shifting to a new apartment is imminent and as such, the battle to reclaim at least %80 of the rental deposit has begun, if only to refuel the evil cycle of making a rental deposit at a new apartment. The last one, I have been comprehensively beaten. The recovery rate was a pittance. Granted, the apartment was filthy. Yes, it resembled more of a sty. But $500 for re-painting a sty was hardly a fee, it was flagrant robbery.

To beat the system, I must be better than the system. I plan to repaint the walls myself, clean the place spotless, have a walk-through with the landlord, take pictures of the emptied place which is sure to be a portrait of immaculate cleanliness and wait for my rental deposit. But our apartment-mate punctured several holes in my plan.

First of all, the place will never be spotless. Even if one hires the very same professional cleaning services that the landlord will hire after one moves out, landlord will always find an issue to deduct something from the deposit. Second of all, regardless of whether or not an agreement is reached with the landlord that everything is in order prior to moving out, the deposit is still vulnerable to deductions. Lastly, the landlord knows that since one is moving out, one does not have the energy nor time--and when one is a youthful student--the patience to contest the charges and one just, inevitably, succumbs.

You can hear the muted echoes of his hopelessness at the situation. Because even if you play by the rules, the outcome is the same.

I understand that deposits are for the protection of the landlords. That in the event their properties are trashed, they are somewhat insured from the damages. However, it is an irritating logic to accept that in insuring themselves against plunderers and pillagers, they will plunder and pillage the rental deposits of even the most conscientious renters.

It has become somewhat of a moral problem: become a plunderer or be plundered.