Move-out repairs that actually get your deposit back

Move-out deductions are boring and predictable, which is good news, because it means you can get ahead of nearly all of them.

Anchor holes and TV mount holes top the list. A wall with four bolt holes and a rectangle of clean paint reads as damage even though the fix is patch, texture, and touch-up. Doing it yourself costs a fraction of what gets withheld.

Doors and hardware are next. Missing strike plates, loose knobs, closet doors off their track, and bathroom hardware that was removed and never replaced all show up on the walkthrough sheet.

Then blinds. Broken slats and bent headrails get replaced at full unit cost and marked up. Replacing a single blind before you leave is almost always cheaper than the deduction.

Shelving and mounted organizers should come down and the holes should get filled, unless the landlord asked in writing to keep them. Anything you added, you own.

For property managers turning multiple units, batching this work is the whole point. Send the punch list for the unit, get one number, and have it handled between tenants instead of trickling out over weeks.