>>JENNIFER WAUGH: NOW TO OUR SERIES RENTERS RIGHTS. THIS MORNING WE’RE TALKING SECURITY
DEPOSIT, BUT WE HAVE BEEN
HELPING TO EDUCATE YOU FOR THE
LAST SEVERAL DAYS. LAST FRIDAY
AND ATTORNEY. EXPLAIN WHAT TO
DO WITH YOUR LANDLORD. SERVES
YOU WITH AN EVICTION NOTICE.
AND THEN ON THURSDAY WE WALKED
TO STEP BY STEP THROUGH THE
LEGAL PROCESS THAT YOU MUST
FOLLOW BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO
JUST STOP PAYING YOUR RENT IN
ORDER TO PROTECT TO BE
PROTECTED UNDER THE LAW. IF
YOU’RE HAVING AN ONGOING
DISPUTE, OF COURSE, WITH YOUR
LANDLORD WHO’S FAILING TO FIX
THINGS IN YOUR HOME THIS
MORNING, WE WANT TO HELP YOU
ENSURE THAT YOU GET ALL OF
YOUR SECURITY DEPOSIT. RETURN
TO YOU ANY RODRIGUEZ IS AN
ATTORNEY WITH JACKSONVILLE
AREA LEGAL AID AND JOINS US
LIVE VIA ZOOM. GOOD MORNING.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US.
>> GOOD MORNING, JENNIFER. HOW
SO FIRST, THERE ARE CERTAIN
THINGS IN THE LEAST THAT A
TENANT SHOULD LOOK FOR. THAT
COULD LEAD TO PROBLEMS LATER
GETTING ALL THEIR MONEY BACK.
WOULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THOSE
ARE?
>> YES, SO WHEN YOU GET YOUR
LEASE ARE GOING TO WANT TO
HUNT THROUGH THERE AND SEE IF
THERE’S ANPROVISIONS THAT
SAY THERE’S AN AUTOMATIC
DEDUCTION LIKE, SAY FOR CARPET
CLEANING, THERE MAY BE A FLAT
FEE FOR CLEANING. YOU KNOW,
YOU DON’T HAVE TO AGREE TO
THOSE. AND YOU CAN ASK THAT BE
REMOVED.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: IS IT EVER A
GOOD IDEA TO AGREE TO ACCEPT
THE UNIT AS IS?
>> NO. SO ALWAYS DO A
WALK-THROUGH. SOMETIMES
WHENEVER YOU’RE TRYING TO GET
MOVED GET THE LEASE SIGNED
YOU, PEOPLE WILL SIGN THE
LEASE BEFORE THEY’VE ACTUALLY
DONE A GOOD WALK THROUGH OF
THE UNIT. SO IT’S IMPORTANT
THAT YOU GO THROUGH. YOU TAKE
A LOT OF PICTURES.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND THEN AND
THAT’S IMPORTANT NOT ONLY TO
TAKE PICTURES AND VIDEO, BUT
YOU ACTUALLY REMINDED ME OF
SOMETHING THAT I HADN’T
THOUGHT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT
YOU DON’T LOSE THOSE PICTURES
MAY BE A GOOD IDEA, OF COURSE,
TO THEN EMAIL IT TO YOURSELF.
SO SO AND I’D LIKE TO TALK
ABOUT 4 THINGS ATTENDED SHOULD
DO, THOUGH, WHEN THEY’RE READY
TO MOVE OUT.
>> YEAH. SO ALWAYS ASK ABOUT
INSPECTION. HOW I DO A
WALK-THROUGH WITH YOUR
LANDLORD TO MAKE SURE
EVERYBODY IS AN AGREEMENT OF
WHAT THE CONDITION OF THE UNIT
YOU WANT TO TAKE PICTURES LIKE
WE SAID, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY
WALKS AROUND WITH A LITTLE
GATHERING DEVICE IN THEIR
POCKETS TO TAKE PICTURES VIDEO
WALK-THROUGH DOCUMENT.
ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK MAY BE
AN ISSUE LATER AND THEN YOU
ALWAYS HAVE TO PROVIDE A
FORWARDING ADDRESS EVEN IF YOU
DON’T HAVE AN ADDRESS YET,
MAYBE SEND HAVE IT SENT
SOMEBODY THAT YOU KNOW TRUST
AND THEN ALWAYS HE RECEIVED
WEATHER THAT JUST BE SOMETHING
IN WRITING FROM THE LIMITED
SENSE, I GOT THE KEYS THAT AN
IMPORTANT PIECE OF PAPER TO
HAVE
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: AND CAN
ATTEND AND JUST DECIDE, YOU
KNOW, I’M NOT GOING TO PAY THE
LAST MONTH’S RENT. I’M JUST
GOING TO TELL THE LANDLORD TO
APPLY THE SECURITY DEPOSIT TO
THAT.
>> YOU KNOW, IF THE LANDLORD
AGREES TO THAT GREAT, THAT’S A
GREAT WAY TO NOT GET YOUR
DEPOSIT BACK. IF YOU WANT TO
DO THAT RIGHT? SO BY WHEN DOES
A LANDLORD HAVE TO RETURN THE
SECURITY DEPOSIT? AND CAN HE
OR SHE JUST WITHHOLD WHAT THEY
WANT? SO THEY HAVE THEY’RE
SUPPOSED TO SEND YOU WITHIN 30
DAYS. NOTICE OF CLAIM ON THE
SECURITY DEPOSIT. IF THEY
DON’T DO THAT AND THEY
FORFEITED THEIR RIGHT TO THE
DEPOSIT. AND WOULD YOU EXPLAIN
WHAT A NOTICE OF CLAIM IS? SO
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT
OUTLINES WHAT THE CHARGES WITH
THE LAND OR THINGS THAT YOU
OWE AND WHAT THEY’RE TRYING TO
TAKE OUT OF THE DEPOSIT BEFORE
THEY RETURN IT TO YOU. AND
WHAT IF YOU DISAGREE WITH
THAT? WHAT CAN YOU DO? SO YOU
SHOULD FIRST RESPOND WITH THE
WRITTEN DISPUTE AND TRY TO
WORK IT OUT WITH THE LANDLORD.
IF YOU’RE UNABLE TO WORK IT
OUT WITH THE LANDMARK, THEN
YOUR NEXT STEP WOULD BE TO
FILE A SMALL CLAIMS SUIT AND
ANY WOULD YOU EXPLAIN TO OUR
VIEWERS WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE
OF JACKSONVILLE AREA LEGAL AID
PROVIDES? WOULD YOU EXPLAIN
WHAT SERVICES YOU PROVIDE?
SURE. SO WE LOT OF DIFFERENT
SERVICES FOR WE CAN DEFEND WE
CAN PROVIDE ADVICE AND
SECURITY DEPOSITS BE CAN
PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN PLANES
ON A SECURITY DEPOSIT AND JUST
MAKING SURE THAT ON THE
TENANTS RIGHTS ARE PROTECTED
UNDER THE LAW. AND I WANT TO
POINT OUT THAT THIS IS FREE.
THIS IS A FREE LEGAL SERVICE
AVAILABLE AND YOU HAVE
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS WHERE YOU
SERVICE NOT JUST DUVAL COUNTY.
YES, THAT’S CORRECT. WE HAVE
DUVAL NASSAU. THE ACTUALLY
THERE ARE SEVERAL COUNTIES,
OUR MAIN OFFICES ARE IN. I
PLAY COUNTY SAINT JOHNS COUNTY
AND DUVAL COUNTY. ANY
RODRIGUEZ WITH THE
JACKSONVILLE AREA LEGAL AID
JOINING US THIS MORNING. THANK