5 Things to Do Before Vacating Your Rental Property

Moving out of a rental property is better without any hassle and conflicts. So, what are the five things to do before vacating your rental property? That’s what we’ll talk about later.

Before leaving your temporary home, reminisce about all the good things that ever happened in there. It sheltered the entire household through all the storms that came. Memories are built. However, there are times when we want to start a new life in a new place. Leaving will never be easy, but sometimes, you just have to do it.

Vacating your rental property is not enough when your things are already packed. It doesn't end when you decide to move out. The rental property becomes your home, maybe for years, and moving out requires many procedures. To avoid overlooking essential processes to be done when you leave, check out the details below!

What to Do Before Vacating a Rental Property

1. Check the rental agreement.

There are specific terms you agreed on when you started leasing the property. Rental agencies sometimes have discrepancies on terms and policies, so make sure you keep an eye on this. Maybe you’ve forgotten some details like the rules and regulations on payment. Knowing those things will let you be familiar with how to end the lease. Whatever essential details you saw on the lease agreement, write it down on your calendar to keep notified. On the rental contract, you’ll see the responsibility you need to take before moving out.

2. Send a move out notice to the landlord

The landlord deserves to know when you are leaving. Move out notice is usually a month before the desired move-out day. It requires a written notification containing a statement about the property, move-out date, and a request for deposit return. This must send to the landlord at least five weeks before you leave.

If you decide to leave before the lease expires, you need to reason out ahead of time. There are two ways to solve the problem; choose between subleasing and subletting. Subleasing allows someone else to rent the property as if it was you.

Subletting involves the new tenant who'll pay the rent to be paid to the landlord. If these two don't work, the full lease term will be paid by you. By sending a move out notice, the landlord can look for potential tenants. Scheduling their move-in date would be easier too. Leave the property on the day you have stated on the notification letter to avoid any conflicts.

3. Settle the unpaid charges

It is better to settle everything, including the utility bills, taxes, service providers, and other services, before moving into a different place. That is your implied responsibility anyway. However, some unpaid charges can be paid online, so even when you leave, you can still pay afterwards. Contact the service providers to disconnect all the services after you move out. Take a photo of the utility readings before leaving to have proof.

The landlord has a right to use your deposit money in paying the unpaid charges. Therefore, it is necessary to double-check any charges if paid or not yet.

Don’t forget to apply to get your bond back after settling all of the charges. You can use it for the next rental payment in a new home.

4. Check all of the property

Most of the stuff on a rental property is not yours. So, only take the things that belong to you. Leave the apartment as it was when you moved in. Check the features if there’s any damage. You are responsible for all the expenses in fixing damage materials that were caused by you. If fortuitous events like earthquakes or storms caused the damage, it is acceptable.

Examples of little damages you are responsible for are holes on the walls from hanging of pictures and repainting the walls. In other words, the property must look like it was before. Other things to look out for are the electrical and plumbing systems. These two are very important to check to ensure the safety of the next tenant. Others are equipment, appliances, and even the lightings. If permanent improvements are made, you can reimburse the expenses from the last rent. Keep all the documented costs in terms of receipts to have enough proof.

Do not leave the property unchecked. It will lead to greater trouble.

5. Leave the property spotless

End of lease cleaning is a necessary service that you should complete before finalising your move. Although paying for a professional service is not required by law, it is recommended by most property managers.

The first thing to do is to take all your stuff out of the property. Do not ever leave any material behind, even the trash. You should leave the place thoroughly clean, or else you might incur additional charges. The rental property must be in the same condition the way it was when you moved in.

Here’s a move out cleaning checklist you can follow:

• Dust off the surrounding
• Fix the furniture and other facilities
• Clean the bathroom area
• Wash curtains and other upholsteries then dry
• Clean up different parts of the house such as garage
• Sweep and mop the floor
• Empty the trash cans

Document the cleaning process to be shown as evidence to the landlord just in case there’s a conflict on your security deposit. After all these procedures, you can freely get the security deposit by a request mail. There will be no deductions when you've done your part and if your landlord is satisfied with the cleanup.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Moving out of a rental property is a stressful process, especially if you need to DIY your end of lease cleaning. Necessary actions should be done to avoid more significant conflicts when you move out. Of course, no one would want to live a new life, worrying what’s behind. Settle the old one first to enjoy what's up ahead fully. The five things listed above should make things easier for you if you are planning to move out of your rental property.

Review every detail and get things ready. In this way, you will have a smooth and successful move-out.