[runako]

Wait is this really a thing?

I've rented in 5 cities across the US. I have never once had to even ask for my security deposit to be returned. It's just assumed that I would get it back, and I do.

In the cities where I've lived, I've never heard of anyone not getting their security deposit back. I honestly had no idea we were so lucky!

[FireBeyond]

Really. I have busted my apartment complex having "pre-written" the move out report, complete with thousands of dollars of cleaning "required", before we had the inspection. They just made the mistake of leaving it on the PM's desk in sight of me.

[tptacek]

It is really a thing. You've been super lucky. After my first apartment, we started hiring cleaning services to do a pre-move-out clean, which, in retrospect, was pretty stupid, because the condition of the apartment's got nothing to do with anything.

[rleigh]

It is in most of the UK rental agreements I've had. If they have to hire a cleaning service to clean it up, they recover the cost from your deposit. You're supposed to leave it in the good condition it was when you moved in.

[tptacek]

Sorry, I can't speak to the UK, just the US.