{"product_id":"the-deposit-file","title":"The Deposit File — How to Document a Rental So You Can Answer an Itemized Statement","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe itemized statement arrives six weeks after you moved out, and it says $700 for carpet and paint.\u003c\/strong\u003e You are fairly sure the carpet was already worn and the marks were already on the wall. You just cannot prove it, because the only record of that apartment is a memory of a hallway you walked through once, fourteen months ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly 42% of renters get their entire deposit back. Only 40% take any photographs at move-in. Those two numbers describe the same problem, and it is not a problem about honesty — it is a problem about record-keeping.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Deposit File\u003c\/strong\u003e is a documentation system: a dated before, a dated after, and a numbered index that finds either one in seconds. It does not argue for you. It gives you something to point at, line by line.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat is inside\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e24 pages, eight fill-in worksheets, eight steps laid out along the life of a lease\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA numbered photo and video evidence index\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMatching move-in and move-out condition records, designed to be laid side by side\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA repair request log — the thing that decides who pays for water damage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA wear-and-tear ledger built around the four arguments that account for most deductions\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA pre-move-out walkthrough planner, the do-over almost no renter asks for\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA deduction review sheet: one row per charge, one evidence number beside each\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEight honest answers for when it goes wrong, including when paperwork is no longer the issue\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eWho it is for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFirst apartments, house shares, the rental between two moves. Anyone who has handed over several hundred dollars and been told they will get it back later. It works best from day one, but a record that starts in month nine is still worth far more than none.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eFormat\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstant PDF download. US Letter, designed to be printed and written on by hand. No shipping, no waiting, and you can print it as many times as you like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFor educational and record-keeping use. This is not legal advice and it does not guarantee any outcome. Deposit rules differ by state and city — the book asks you to look yours up and write it down, because the only version that matters is the one where you live.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Handbook House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50654722359528,"sku":null,"price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/2181\/2456\/files\/1-cover.png?v=1790145796","url":"https:\/\/handbookhouse.com\/products\/the-deposit-file","provider":"Handbook House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}