Two of the most-frequently asked questions when leasing an apartment home include, “Are security deposits refundable?” and “How do I get my money back when I move out?”

According to a new Rent.com survey, 1 in 4 renters do not receive a refund on their security deposit. This is usually do to an early move-out or damage within the apartment.

Why collect security deposits and what damages does the security deposit cover?

Security deposits protect the apartment community from unforeseen expenses when the resident moves out. Normal wear and tear is expected during a long-term lease, but when a resident only resides in the apartment for a brief time, the cost to make the home “rent-ready” can be expensive for the property management company.

What does your deposit cover when you move out?

• Cleaning
• Painting
• Repairs
• Breaking the lease contract

Here are a few tips to get your security deposit back:

• Ask for permission to paint or renovate.
• Read the requirements of your lease and ask questions if you are unsure about the terms for refunds.
• Take photos before you move in and after you’re ready to move out. Always report any maintenance concerns for prompt repair.
• Be prepared to clean and paint the apartment for “rent-ready” status. This means dusting the baseboards, door jams, and door frames. Don’t forget to clean behind the refrigerator and stove, the toilet and inside the cabinets.

If you have any questions regarding your lease and security deposit, please contact the office. We’d be happy to help!

When was the last time you logged in to your LinkedIn profile? If it has been a while, we have a few tips that might help you find your next career path.

LinkedIn has been making changes to their website consistently for the past few years. In 2001, they added a new social feature to keep users up-to-date on industry news and improved search options. With over 225 million members in more than 200 countries, students and recent college graduates makes up the fastest-growing user demographic.

Here are a six ideas to boost your local job search on LinkedIn:

1. Don’t have a resume? Use the LinkedIn Resume Creator to build a template resume you can print or a direct-access URL.
2. Did you attend a local or nearby college? Start building connections with other students and join college and university alumni groups. Start a conversation about topics that relate to your industry or field of study.
3. Identify target companies in the local area. Filter by job postings and identify hiring and HR managers. Connect with those you are interested in meeting or learning more about.
4. Speaking of groups, join groups related to local businesses in the area. For example, are you interested in joining the team at the local insurance agency? Join an insurance group on LinkedIn and share your thoughts about the challenges, opportunities and possible solutions for problems others may be facing.
5. Search daily for new career opportunities in the area by using the advanced search function. There are many ways to narrow potential opportunities when you search using keywords, zip code, location, company names and more!
6. Locate the names of professionals at businesses in the local area and prepare for interviews by learning more about those that will be interviewing you. Do you have a common acquaintance or share a love of a particular sport?

Are you on LinkedIn? We’d love to connect with you on LinkedIn. Trinity Property Consultants wishes you the best of luck with your career search!

Have you upgraded your computer recently? Have you inherited a bunch of old stuff from Aunt Edna or Uncle Ralph but you don’t have room in your apartment? There are a ton of options besides paying for a storage facility or having a yard sale! Your trash may be someone else’s treasure!

Recycle and de-clutter your apartment with these ideas:

Do the items hold no financial value? List your items online with FreeCycle  or pick up a few things you need from a nearby FreeCycler. For example, if you live in Dwell Apartment Homes in Arizona, the Scottsdale/Fountain Hills FreeCycle group includes over 1,400 members! You can trade an old chair for a cool vase online.

Do you need to make a few dollars? If you live in Artisan Apartments in Austin, you would search the free listings on the Austin For Sale craigslist page.

Are you trying to save up for a newer model? If you have an Apple product and would like to recycle your older Apple products you can receive a gift card for fair market value for future Apple purchases.

Some states have free recycling programs. For example, if you live at The Preserve in Oregon City you would contact the Oregon E-Cycles center.

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FREECYCLE HOT TIP:
Never acquire used beds or bedding online.
This can lead to an unexpected insect infestation.

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If your state doesn’t have a free recycling center, reach out to your local churches and charitable organizations. They may even come pick everything up to save you a trip!

What is your favorite local recycling option?

Trinity Property Consultants is committed to eco-conscious living and water conservation. Last year we announced our Water Conservation Initiative, our effort to install conservation devices in all of our apartment communities.

Green Team representatives are visiting apartment homes to inspect and install plumbing fixtures to sinks, toilets and tubs. On Wednesday, April 3 we visited Ocean Breeze  to begin replacing standard toilets with highly-rated, high efficiency 1.28 gpf models in 72 units – a total of 169 toilets!

We approximate that each flush will save 1/3 of a gallon of water, and these newer toilets require fewer flushes – saving even MORE water!

Please continue to help us conserve water in your home by notifying management about any leaks or malfunctions. If you have any questions, please contact your property office directly or login to Resident Services online.

A healthy lifestyle begins with the fuel we consume. Like cars, if we intake the wrong fuel our bodies can become sluggish and undependable. This doesn’t mean we should eliminate ALL of any particular food category, only balance our meals with the right amount of fat, carbohydrates, vegetables and protein.

One way to achieve a healthy food balance is to plan meals ahead of time. Select a day each week to build a dining menu and weekly food calendar. Seven days is the perfect timeframe to be sure fish, dairy and fresh fruits and veggies do not spoil before they can be eaten. Walk through the local farmer’s market to pick out seasonal fruits and vegetables that are ripe and almost ripe. Many markets also have fresh breads and cheeses to choose from. Stop by the grocery store on the way home to grab meat and dairy products and any seasonings needed for the week.

Trinity Property Consultants supports your goals for a healthy lifestyle! We would like to introduce our new “Snack Well” program – coming to our Trinity apartment communities. Instead of providing unhealthy candy bars, snacks, cookies and high calorie sodas we are making healthier options available to residents. This is another way Trinity Cares for our communities and residents.

These new Snack Well options will be available in your community office, near the fitness center and pool and by the business center. Contact your leasing office for more details. Eat well and prosper!

Benefits of living in an apartment community with a fitness center include saving time and money! No more fighting over gym parking, paying for fuel, waiting in long lines for equipment, or affording the monthly membership dues.

Trinity Property Consultants encourages all residents to utilize the community fitness center. We would like to discuss important guidelines for sharing a community workout space.

Keeping the Gym Clean: Imagine sitting down in a puddle of the previous user’s sweat. Yuck! How can you keep the fitness center clean and in good repair? Always bring a gym towel and use it after every station to wipe down the seats and handles.

Respect & Consideration Tips: We can play well with others as we are working out!

• Use headphones for music at a reasonable volume and don’t sing aloud.
• Shut off your cell phone or take phone conversations outside the fitness center.
• Try not to drop weights to the floor or make loud, startling noises.
• If you’re on a break from a circuit, allow others to have a turn.
• Do not leave your towel to save your place for later.
• Give others time to finish without rushing their workout. Try a new machine if another is taken.
• During peak hours, please limit your time on the machines accordingly.

Safety & Organization: Even the simplest of equipment can be dangerous if not properly used. Please follow the directions on the equipment and the fitness center safety rules.

• Do not allow small children to play on the gym equipment. Using machines in ways they were not intended could damage the equipment and be dangerous.
• Have you ever tripped on a mat, been unable to locate a dumbbell or yoga ball? If you move something or use something, put it back where it belongs.
• Unless you are a certified trainer, please do not offer unsolicited advice to other residents. Someone could become injured if you are unaware of their personal limitations.
• Wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the safety and comfort of yourself and other residents.
• Avoid standing near others who are lifting heavy weights.
• Do not run in the fitness center and clean up any water spills to prevent falls.

Repair & Maintenance: This is where we come in! If a piece of equipment is damaged or broken, please let us know right away! If you notice a resident breaking the rules, please inform the community management team.

Let’s work together to keep the gym safe, clean, dry and germ free!

At Trinity Property Consultants we strive to make our communities eco-friendly and sustainable. One way to accomplish this is by educating our residents about how to reduce their individual carbon footprint and encouraging them to approach a sustainable lifestyle.

It’s true that living in an apartment can reduce our gardening opportunities. However, building an urban garden is quite possible and very rewarding!

There are multiple gardening options for those living in small spaces. Here are a few ideas to create your own farm-to-table gardens:

Container Gardening
All you need is a tiny patch of well-lit space to grow a few herbs or flowers! This step-by-step container gardening article will help you get started.

Vertical Wall Gardens
No wall space? Hang your herbs from above! Learn more from this do-it-yourself vertical gardening resource.

Patio and Balcony Gardens
Does your apartment have a patio or balcony with 6 to 8 hours of sunlight? Perhaps a small patio garden would work for you!

In honor of Earth Day, we would like to invite you to grow your own herb, vegetable or flower gardens!  Please share your stories and photos with us by e-mailing them to feedback@trinity-pm.com!

April showers might bring May flowers, but the wet weather can be dangerous! Wet floors are difficult to detect and slippery surfaces cause unexpected falls, sometimes resulting in serious injury. Slips, trips and falls are the second leading cause for head, neck and back injuries, broken bones, cuts and sprained muscles.

At Trinity Property Consultants communities, we care about the health and safety of our residents. These are a few tips to keep our community safe during the slippery season ahead:

1. Dogs need to be walked regularly, even when it rains and snows. Remember to bring a towel to dry off your pet, and even your feet, as you enter the building.
2. Dry spills and pet accidents right away to prevent slips and falls.
3. Wear appropriate footwear for the weather and carry along dress shoes and high heels for office use later.
4. Take slow, small steps and point feet slightly outward to keep your balance.
5. Try to limit the weight you carry by emptying items from your backpack or purse.
6. Use handrails on steps and stairways, and hold on to a wall if walking through a puddle in the hallway.
7. Please leave the mats at the entrances for the safety of all residents.
8. If you do fall, protect the most vulnerable parts of your body first. Avoid landing on your hands to reduce the potential for injury to your arms, writs, and fingers. Roll slightly or turn to the side to prevent spinal injury, keeping arms and legs close to your body.

Please notify the office right away if you notice any safety concerns in the community. We’re here to help!

It’s officially spring and you know what that means! It’s time for the annual “Out with the old and in with the new” cleaning, dusting, and organizing!

At Trinity Property Consultants, we’re committed to sharing sustainable living ideas, eco-friendly tips and reducing our carbon footprint. To celebrate the spirit of spring, we are sharing a few eco-friendly spring-cleaning tips for your apartment home.

1. Kitchens: Clean counters, sinks and floors with an environmentally-friendly homemade cleanser.
Learn how to make your own “green” cleaners in the 2012 Spring Cleaning blog post. Scrub smelly cutting boards and rinse with a mixture of white vinegar and water, rinse again with clean water and air dry. Check water filters and smoke alarms for replacement.

2. Are your bathrooms beginning to show signs of mildew or hard water stains?
This is easy to remedy! My favorite go-to solution is a magic eraser sponge – it is the best tool for cleaning tubs, showers and tile. Soak difficult stains in a paste of white vinegar and baking soda. Remember to replace your toothbrush every three to four months and toss out eye make-up that is six months old.

3. Living room: Cold weather keeps us indoors and believe it or not, we shed more than 8 lbs. a year!
From hair to skin cells, our bodies are constantly regenerating and shedding. This is the dust on your tables, t.v.’s, picture frames and window sills. Start by dusting off that side table with a re-used dryer sheet then freshen up the carpet with a little baking soda sprinked before you vacuum. Learn more healthy living room cleaning tips from our 5 Green Cleaning Tips to Keep Your Home Clean post.

4. Bedrooms need balance?
Did you know that in the course of one year we add 10% weight to our mattress and pillows? YUCK! It is recommended that we buy a new pillow once a year and buy a new mattress once every five to ten years. When you purchase a new pillow and mattress, it is possible to extend their usable life by covering them with breathable covers. If you already have new pillows and mattresses, sprinkle baking soda and then vacuum them to deodorize and freshen up the room.

Do you set aside a spring-cleaning day for your home? What is your favorite eco-friendly spring-cleaning tip?

Dona is one of my closest friends. We didn’t go to school together, grow-up together or even know each other for the majority of my life. But there is no other friend that I trust more than I trust Dona.

Our friendship began in 2002. Dona and her son Max moved in the apartment next door. It was a second-floor apartment so we helped her carry in a few things. Little did we know that we would become as close as sisters on that day!

Dona’s son attended the same elementary school as my children and the bus picked up the kids too late in the morning for either us to make it to work on time. We agreed to share a carpool to the before-school, to save us both time and money. She would drive the kids twice a week; I would drive three times. Then we started sharing after-school responsibilities; pet-sitting and plant watering were natural next steps. After a couple of years we became a big family. Theme park visits, Thanksgiving, and even family vacations included Dona and Max.

In recent years, Dona and I have both moved away from our apartments. We don’t see each other as often, work and life get in the way, but we make time to spend together and remain the best of friends. This wonderful friendship, our sisterhood, all started 11 years ago in an apartment community.

Do you have a valued friendship that started at a Trinity Property Consultants community? If so, would you like to share your story on our Facebook page. Please e-mail your story along with a photo of your friendship to feedback@trinity-pm.com.