Move Out Notice at DBK Real Estate and What to Expect
Once a new tenant has been secured, the property manager will remove the sign and lockbox and take the property off of the market. Again, the sooner we can lease the property, the sooner we can take the property off of the market.
Approximately one week prior to move out, contact your property manager to schedule a walk through.
Within 30-days of surrendering possession of the property, you can expect to receive your security deposit accounting statement to the address you provided DBK Real Estate on your move out notice.
Landlords are required to install security devices in rental properties.
Texas law requires that most rental properties have certain security devices in place on the windows and exterior doors while a tenant is occupying the property under a lease.
- Each exterior window has a window latch;
- Each exterior sliding glass door has a pin lock, and a handle latch or security bar; and
- Each exterior door-including a door between a living area and a garage, but not a sliding glass door or screen door-has three things:
- a doorknob lock or keyed deadbolt;
- a keyless bolting device; and
- a door viewer.
These devices must be installed at your expense before you have a tenant.
Have you ever wondered how normal wear and tear is determined in a rental home?
In Texas, a landlord cannot deduct for normal wear and tear from a security deposit and in some situations, such as for carpet and paint, a depreciation schedule must be followed.
Although this is not a compressive list, below are examples of what items are considered normal wear and tear and are typically the responsibility of the investment property owner compared to what items are considered damages by tenants.
Wear and Tear
- Peeling, cracked, or chipped paints
- Paint faded or furniture rub marks
- Picture hook/nail holes
- Peeling wallpaper
- Worn enamel in bath fixtures
- Worn or cracked vinyl flooring
- Heavily trafficked carpet flooring
- Weathered or worn window screens
- Sliding doors off track or stick
- Counter tops worn or scratched
- Towel bars, tissue holders loose
- Caulking around plumbing fixtures
- Light fixtures/ fans off balance
- Septic field lines
- Smoke detector batteries
- HVAC maintenance and servicing
- Door stops
- Discolored window blinds
- Heating elements or oven racks
- Worn parts or servicing of refrigerator
Repainting due to tenant damage is calculated on a depreciation schedule.
Carpet replacement due to tenant damage can only be calculated on replacement cost less depreciation
Damages
- Drawing or excessive handprints on walls
- Stain on walls
- Excessive nail holes “shrine” effect
- Torn wallpaper
- Chipped, broken, or cigarette burns on enamel
- Torn or gouge marks from moving appliances
- Sever stains, burns, or torn carpet
- Holes, broken or missing screens
- Missing knobs, tracks dirty or broken doors
- Cigarette burn marks, chips or missing pieces
- Towel bars, tissue holders missing or damaged
- Excessive mold or mildew on caulked areas
- Light fixture globes or parts missing
- Non-flushable products being disposed of
- Removal, low or missing batteries in detectors
- Neglect of HVAC filter replacement
- Broken, missing door stops-holes in walls
- Broken or missing slats in mini blinds
- Dirty or missing drip pans
- Missing racks, broken shelving, filth, odors.
Texas Lock Requirements for Rental Properties
Confused about the Texas entry lock requirements for rentals to be installed on rental properties? Here is a summary to help you better understand what is needed.
Landlords in Texas are required to install keyless locking devices as per the Texas Property Code, section 92, subchapter D.
Most rental properties must have several security devices in place while a tenant is in possession of the property or the landlord could potentially face liability.
Security devices that the landlord must install without request from the tenant at the landlord’s expense.
Texas Entry Lock Requirements For Rental
Repainting due to tenant damage is calculated on a depreciation schedule.
Carpet replacement due to tenant damage can only be calculated on replacement cost less depreciation
An “exterior door” is defined as a door providing access from a dwelling interior to the exterior. The term includes a door between a living area and a garage, but does not include a sliding glass door or a screen door.
If the rental property has French doors, one door of each pair of French doors must meet the “category 1” requirements and the other door must have:
- A keyed dead bolt or keyless bolting device capable of insertion into the doorjamb above the door and a keyless bolting device capable of insertion into the floor or threshold, each with a bolt having a throw of one inch or more; or
- A bolt installed inside the door and operated from the edge of the door, capable of insertion into the doorjamb above the door, and another bolt installed inside the door and operated from the edge of the door capable of insertion into the floor or threshold, each bolt having a throw of three-fourths inch or more.
“French doors” means a set of two exterior doors in which each door is hinged and abuts the other door when closed. The term includes double-hinged patio doors.
Note: These requirements apply only when the tenant is in possession of the property.