Renter catches landlord in alleged security deposit scam after cleaning out her apartment: ‘They thought they had a dummy’

A tenant is warning fellow renters to always take photos and videos before turning over the keys to their apartment — and now, her post is going viral.

TikToker @kig0404 gained over 5.3 million views, 867,000 likes and 2,000 comments when she uploaded the cautionary tale to her account.

Now, much like the shocking video revealing what can happen when renters and homeowners alike sleep with their door closed, @kig0404‘s viral warning is proving to be an important PSA.

@kig0404

Lol they thought they had a dummy 😭 y’all be careful with these apartments #fyp #foryoupage #apartments #theythought #runmemymoney

♬ Blicky – Fresh X Reckless

@kig0404‘s video — captioned, “Lol they thought they had a dummy 😭 y’all be careful with these apartments” — warns renters to “ALWAYS take pics of every apartment/house you move out of.”

In the video, she plays a slideshow of the photos she took after packing up her belongings. In the photos, it’s clear her apartment was left empty and completely spotless.

However, in the next slideshow, she reveals the photos her landlord allegedly provided. In those photos, the apartment appears in disarray, with belongings and trash scattered around.

“They took pics of somebody else apartment and tried to say thats how I left it,” she claims in the video.

In a follow-up video, @kig0404 showed viewers with the letter she sent to her landlord after receiving a security deposit check for $40.96 — rather than the $500 she was allegedly owed.

@kig0404

Replying to @thediaryoftia

♬ Lay Up – Future

After communicating back and forth with not only the rental office, but the corporate office as well, @kig0404 was finally reiumbursed all the money she was owed.

Over 2,000 TikTokers weighed in on the shocking story — many of them providing their own words of warning to fellow renters.

“I recorded a whole video with the maintenance man standing right there and I’m like ‘man, what’s todays date’ and filmed EVERYTHING idc,” wrote @cantbuyfreedom.

“Next time also do a video walk through and don’t stop recording until you drop the keys at the office,” suggested @moegil1994.

“I am LITERALLY going thru this rn!! Paying off a 3k lawsuit due to it and regret so sooo bad that I didn’t take pics/vids upon moving out,” shared @nesssqwik.

Let’s hope that, thanks to @kig0404‘s advice, renters everywhere from now on will remember to document everything meticulously to avoid any slimy landlord scams.

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