YOUR NEW APARTMENT: MAKING THE MOVE CAUGHT ON VIDEO!
Connell Barrett
"I expected to be charged a few bucks—not $1,400!" says Walt, who lost his security deposit after he moved out. The fee was for replacing a carpet that Walt's fox terrier had allegedly soiled beyond salvation, but the tenant insisted he left the material in good shape. A small-claims judge reduced his debt, but the 27-year-old Manhattanite still shelled out several hundred dollars.
Walt might have avoided a dispute by making a video record of the apartment when moving in and out. A five-minute film can provide evidence that you left your place in good repair—or that the gash in the wall was gaping when you arrived.
Taking still photos will also work, says Lucas A. Ferrara, a partner with the Manhattan real-estate litigation firm Finkelstein Newman: "A $10 camera can save you thousands of dollars in the long term. It's a wonderful way to show a judge the condition of the apartment—just hold up a newspaper to establish the date."