Things You Should Settle With Your Landlord Before Moving
Living in a rental does come with its perks, in comparison to buying a property. For starters, you don't need as much money, and you can rent whenever and wherever you want. It also isn’t as much of a pain when you’re leaving, because you can just pack and go without having to worry about selling the place first. Then there’s the fact that renting comes with fewer responsibilities, because maintenance and constant care of the property are not yours to worry about. There are some things, however, that you will need to settle with your landlord before you leave, especially if you want to get your security deposit back.
01
Notice period
You’ll need to review your leasing agreement for this one because chances are there’s a stipulated notice period that you’ll have to give your landlord before you move out. Even if you review the lease and find out there isn’t an agreed-upon notice period, you should still give them at least a month’s heads-up before deciding to move. It’s just common courtesy, and it’ll make the landlord’s life much easier because they too will need to start looking for another tenant. So, it helps when they know well in advance.
02
Fixing property damage
This one is crucial, and you can’t hope to leave the property in peace without taking care of any damage that might have happened during your tenancy. You should return the property in the same condition in which you received it, if not better. So, for starters, it’s advised that you document the condition of the place with photos or videos when you first arrive that way you can easily fix any damage that you might’ve caused and restore things the way they were.
While wear and tear are expected, it’s the bigger things you need to take care of. The scratches on the walls and the dents on the doors are yours to handle, and you need to make sure you fix all those apparent problems because this is the first thing the landlord notices when they do the inspection. So, no broken windows or leaking pipes, and if you tried handing over a property with such problems, you’ll most likely not get your security deposit back. If, however, you did anything extra, you should keep receipts to show the landlord and get paid for them.
03
bills
This is definitely a no-brainer: You must take care of all financial obligations before you leave the property. You can guarantee that your landlord will check if you have settled your balances, and anything you have pending will be taken out of your security deposit.
Be sure to take care of your electricity, gas, water, and all utility bills that need to be paid. There is also the internet, as well as other subscription services, which you should remember to cancel before moving out. After you move, consider re-evaluating your internet subscription. You can cancel it, then take out cheap high speed internet instead.
04
Cleaning
This is one area many tenants tend to overlook when vacating their property, and some may even think that they can take care of it themselves without an issue. However, this is one of the most common move-out expenses that can cost you your entire deposit. Realistically, it doesn’t look good if you hand over the property looking like a dump, and you want to ensure that your deposit is returned back to you in its entirety.
Trying to clean the unit yourself isn’t the most efficient way to get the job done, and you’ll find that reliable, professional cleaners like https://royal-cleaning.co.uk/end-of-tenancy-cleaning-london, who have been in the business for a considerable amount of time, have the expertise required to ensure professional results.
Companies that are in the business of residential cleaning services will have the best detergents on the market as well as the latest equipment to do the job effectively. The fact of the matter is that you will definitely miss a few things here and there, which a professional must avoid. Additionally, your landlord will likely inspect your unit and charge you for any missed areas because they will avoid doing any end-of-tenancy cleaning themselves.
Hence, it is advised to contact professionals who provide residential cleaning services. For a thorough clean-up, you may consider pressure washing in Doral, FL as they provide effective cleaning solutions and have well-trained technicians to make your property sparkling like new.
05
Restorations
While it is your right to make a few changes in the property when you’ve moved in (after getting approval from the landlord of course), you will probably have to undo those changes before you leave. So, whether it’s tearing down a wall or repainting a room, make sure to restore the place to its original condition before moving out. Unless, of course, the agreement between you and the landlord stipulated that you can leave the changes as they are.
06
Vacating the property
You definitely can’t leave the property to the landlord with your things in it, so you need to make sure you leave nothing behind, whether you want it or not. It’s always a good idea to start with an inventory of the things you have around the place because that way you’ll decide on what you will take with you to the new property and the rest you’ll get rid of one way or another. Then, you definitely should hire a moving company to help you with the hectic process of moving out. They do everything from packing your belongings in a safe and professional way to moving them unharmed to your new home.
07
Property inspection
The last thing you need to settle with the landlord before leaving is the property inspection, and this one can be a bit tricky. For starters, after you’ve done all the decluttering, repairing the damage, and cleaning, you should document the condition of the place to have proof of how it was after you were done. Then, you’ll get the landlord to do their inspection, and be prepared with documentation of the condition of the place right before you moved in and after you were done packing and cleaning. That way you can avoid any claims of damage to the property because you have it on record that you didn’t, and in fact, you restored it to just the way it was before you moved in.
Takeaways
Moving out of a rental doesn’t need to be difficult if you handle everything on your end so that the landlord wouldn’t give you a hard time. At the end of the day, you want your security deposit back and they want their property in the same condition it was delivered in. So, make sure you respect that and do everything you can to prove that you are a tenant who will be missed!