When one moves into a rental property, it’s common that the landlord will ask their renter for a “security deposit.” This is an amount of money held by the landlord in the event that a tenant damages the apartment beyond normal wear and tear.
However, though tenants may try their best to leave a rental spotless upon moving out, they can find that their landlord has still decided to try to keep their security deposit. This can include landlords lying about the state of the apartment upon move-out, or simply attempting to charge renters for pre-existing damage.
Despite this landlord trickery, many tenants do the best they can to try to get their security deposit back. Recently, one TikToker showcased their method for attempting to reduce the appearance of damage in a rental, garnering over 258,000 views in the process.
“Moving hack: small holes can be filled super easily with chalk,” says TikTok user Hannah Larson (@mychaoticcreations) in the clip.
@mychaoticcreations i’ve used this moving hack at all my previous apartments and it has worked so well 😎 #moving #movinghack ♬ original sound – my chaotic creations
In their video, Larson demonstrates the hack. For white walls, one can simply draw over the hole with chalk. Chalk dust will fill the hole, and the rest can simply be rubbed away.
“I’ve used this moving hack at all my previous apartments and it has worked so well,” they added in the caption.
Larson isn’t the first to share moving-out hacks on TikTok. Other users have shown how to cover large holes in the wall, fix chipped paint, mend broken carpets, and more.
In the comments section of Larson’s video, many users referenced the idea of a “landlord special,” a term used to refer to shoddy repairs performed by landlords.
“Give them the landlord special right back!” exclaimed a commenter.
Others suggested alternatives to chalk.
“Also toothpaste, and you can use most nuts to buff scratches out of wood floors,” stated a user.
“Use ivory soap instead. It’s usually closer in color since paint is hardly every pure white,” shared another.
“Putty is pretty cheap, works just as well if not better, but understandable if that’s all u have,” offered a third.
“Crayons work too. a little harder to fill but will come out less easy,” advised a further TikToker.
The Daily Dot reached out to Larson via email.
