Security deposits & Damage deposit refunds May 3, 2010

Security Deposits/Damage Deposits

The Housing Office may be changing the process of paying the security/damage deposit. Please like our Facebook Page (link at right) to be notified of updates to our policies. (This page was last updated February 23, 2012)

What is the difference between a security deposit and a damage deposit?

Security deposit secures the room. During the application process, the Housing Office will offer a room placement to the applicant. The applicant secures this room by submitting a security deposit. Paying the security deposit commits the applicant to signing and completing a contract. If the deposit is paid but the applicant does not move in or otherwise fails to complete a contract, the deposit will not be refunded.

Damage Deposit is the held security deposit. The security deposit only becomes a refundable damage deposit (see below) after the completion of a contract. After the first Term Session of the signed contract begins, the deposit is held to cover the cost of cleaning and repairs to the room, as well as to be held in the case of eviction or early contract termination.

Deposit refund policies. Only after the completion of a resident contract does the damage deposit becomes refundable. Provided the deposit has not been forfeited (see below) it will be refunded less the costs of cleaning or repairing the room during the contract period. For example, if a resident makes a hole in a wall of their room, the cost of repairing the wall is deducted from the deposit refund. Examples of reasons for deductions are dirty areas in the room, marks on walls and floors, and other cleaning and repairs required in the room.

Early Terminations and Damage Deposit Forfeit: Residents who either complete an early contract termination or who are evicted have their deposit forfeited in full. In other words, the Housing Office retains the damage deposit in these two cases. The forfeiting of the damage deposit occurs in addition to the payment of an early termination as well as any other outstanding charges on the account at the time of check out.

For more information about early terminations see Rules of Resident Living

The Deposit Refund Process

This section will explain why the deposit can take a while to receive — over a month in some cases. Before you contact the Housing Office with questions about your damage deposit, please read this post in case your questions are answered here.

Usually it takes about 1 month after the check-out date to receive a damage deposit refund (although it can take longer in some cases). During this time, a number of things happen:

Check-out inspection. First we compare the condition of the resident’s room at the time of check-out to its condition at the check-in date. If we notice any damages or uncleanliness compared to the room’s original condition, the Housing Office will charge the student the cost of repairing/cleaning these damages.

Paperwork. Next, there is a lot of paperwork (mostly electronic “paperwork”) that Housing Office staff must complete. This can take two to four weeks – check outs for hundreds of residents are processed at once. After this paperwork is complete it is submitted to another department who is responsible for processing the refund payments.

“Your cheque’s in the mail”. The type of refund depends on the forwarding address that the resident submits on the StarRez Housing Portal. For this reason it is essential for the resident to update their forwarding address on the StarRez Portalwhen they check out of their room! Refunds issued to Canadian forwarding address are issued as cheques, while refunds issued to international address are issues as either bank drafts for bank wire transfers. Residents with international address will be asked by email which option they want.

When to contact the Housing Office

Within one month from check-out. Because the refund process takes some time, there is no point asking about refunds within the 2-3 weeks of checking-out from residence.

After two-months from check-out. If the resident has not received the refund by mail after two months, please contact the Housing Office. We will be able to check the status and amount of the refund, and whether it has been issued.

DISCLAIMER: The information in this post is current as of Feb 6, 2013, but is subject to change based on infrastructure and policy changes at The University of Winnipeg. In the event that changes are made to our policies, the Housing Office makes every effort to communicate these changes to residents. Join our Facebook group to receive the latest news about Housing Office policies and events.