How to read a security deposit statement
Read a deposit statement in three blocks from the top: the amount held, the items deducted, and the amount returned or still claimed after that. A small refund and a missing explanation of each item are different problems.
A deposit is money held under the lease. What may be deducted depends on the lease and on the content of the cost. This way of reading does not promise a larger refund.
Match the amount held to the lease
A lease or a move-in receipt may list a security deposit, a guarantee deposit, and key money side by side. The starting point of the statement is the amount held as something to be returned. Money the lease treats as not returned, such as key money, stays outside that held amount. If the names look alike, read the definitions in the lease.
If the amount differs from the lease by even 1 yen, ask when it changed. This article does not set a market number of months for a deposit.
Connect each deduction to a cost breakdown
If the deductions say only “restoration, one package,” see whether a breakdown is attached. If it is not, ask for the four fields in What to read first on a move-out invoice: place, quantity, unit price, and share.
The guidelines organize the point that a landlord needs to show a concrete basis for restoration costs deducted from the deposit. A general reference is the guidelines Q&A. A written basis and a fair amount are not the same thing.
Separate the timing of any amount above the deposit
If an amount exceeds the deposit, separate whether it is the shortfall on this statement or a claim added after move-out. If it was added later, see whether the item was absent at the inspection. Tokyo consumer-affairs information also warns about claims added after move-out. Amounts in individual consultations are not a market price.
Do not judge that shortfall as large from the building’s age or from how many months of rent it equals. The reason is in Do not judge a move-out bill by age or rent.
What to keep before you sign
If the statement has a signature or an agreement line, read what the agreement says. “I checked the contents” and “I agree to the amount” are different sentences. If a line is unclear, do not sign it blank of your question. Note the lines you want checked and take them with you. If you cannot take the paper, keep a photo.