After you find the perfect apartment in St. Pete, move-in day is very tiring! Few things are worse than finding out that your dream home isn't quite up to par. Trust me, I've been there. If you do find things not up to your standards, your apartment should be willing to fix things for you. You should carefully document any damages found in your apartment and report them to your landlord or leasing agent as soon as you can.
At the time of move in, your St. Pete apartment is required to be in good working order. It is normal to have some wear and tear in the apartment. However, some things are not acceptable. Your St. Pete apartment should not have anything that poses a health risk. If it does, your apartment is required to fix it. Additionally, any damages beyond "normal wear and tear" are not allowed.
You should always, always, carefully note and document with pictures the condition of your St. Pete apartment upon move-in, no matter the condition. Most complexes will even require you to do this. They will often provide you with a paper to fill out with reminders for things to check for, like working outlets, plumbing issues, the condition of the walls and carpets, etc. Bring along a small lamp or a phone charger to test out all of your outlets. Test any lights that come with the apartment, and check the air conditioning filter. Some things you may need to stay overnight to check out, like the shower, dishwasher, and other appliances. Take pictures of anything that is not in good shape, and have someone from your apartment complex sign off on your notes of the condition. Be sure to keep a copy of the signed document.
When they sign this, ask for any repairs that you think are necessary. They may require you to submit an official maintenance request. If you are in the unfortunate situation where your apartment is not fit to move into, speak with someone from the complex. Hopefully they will work with you to resolve your situation as soon as possible, with as little trouble to you as possible.
I hope that any apartment that you find here on RentTampaBay.com does not have any damages, but this information may be useful to you at some point in the future.