While investing in rental properties gives you some financial freedom, being a rental property owner isn’t always easy. It comes with many responsibilities, like tenant screening and placement, rent collection, accounting, and property maintenance. As a property owner, you want every process to run faster and efficiently, but there’s a lot of effort that goes into making that happen.
One of the most stressful responsibilities for many property owners is handling a tenant’s move-out. Streamlining this process can help ease things for you and your tenants, but that alone might not guarantee that your property will be in good shape once the tenant has vacated. You might consider hiring a property management company that can stay on top of the entire moving process.
Take a look at our expert guide with ten tips for moving day to help you execute a stress-free moving out process and leave your space in perfect condition, ready for the next occupant.
1. Conduct A Preliminary Walk-Through
Once a tenant plans to move out, they must notify you, the property owner, in advance. The most common vacating notice period is 30 days, but this may vary with the owner. Some require 60 days move-out notice, while others will need their tenants to give a 90 days’ vacating notice.
Whatever notice period applies to you, when you receive the written notice, schedule a mock walk-thru a month or a few weeks before the date your tenant vacates. During the pre-inspections, make a note of the areas that require repairs or cleaning. Give the tenant a chance to get them fixed before their moving out.
Make it clear to the tenant that any damages will be fixed using their security deposit if they fail to repair them before the end of their vacating notice. Note that you must differentiate between normal property wear and tear from damages.
2. Share A Cleaning Checklist
Most renters will leave a place worse than they found it. Don’t expect the tenant to leave your unit as tidy and clean as it was when they moved in. Provide them with a detailed cleaning checklist. Itemize every area in each room.
If you expect the tenant to clean the baseboards, wash the windows, walls, and closets, indicate that clearly on the checklist. You can also give the tenant an estimate of the time they need to clean all the areas. That way, you’ll help them plan accordingly, and nothing gets left behind.
3. Share Service Providers Details
Obviously, you hope that the tenant leaves the house in a habitable state. Meaning, after the preliminary walk-thru and sharing of the cleaning checklist, you expect the tenant to make it happen. However, you can help them out by providing contacts for things they don’t want to, or can’t fix themselves.
That said, check through your preferred vendors and supply the tenant with full details of the specific service providers they may need for the general cleaning services, electrical repair service, and any others. Also, share the contacts of utility companies since they need to have cleared their bills before moving out.
4. Confirm Move-Out Date and Deadlines
Don’t get too busy looking for a new tenant that you forget the vacating renter. To avoid last-minute disappointments, make sure you confirm the move-out date and deadlines with the tenant set to relocate. Send them a notification a day or two before their moving day.
Remind them of the time they should have all their possessions removed from the rental unit, as specified on the lease. Don’t assume the tenant is aware of every detail in the rental agreement.
5. Final Property Inspections
After the tenant confirms the move-out date, you can then carry out the final walk-through inspections. During these move-out inspections, ensure you have duplicate checklists detailing all the damages or items in each room.
In case of any unrepaired damages, document them. If the unit still requires general cleaning or maintenance, indicate that on the walk-through move-out form. This helps keep a clear track of things that the tenant should have taken care of before moving out and establishing the amount you’ll need to deduct from their security deposit. Remember, this final move-out form must state that the tenant’s lease is over.
6. Detailed Documentation of Inspections
Documenting all the inspections and especially areas that raise concern is important. It might even be a good idea to have a camera during the final assessments. You don’t want to be butting heads with your tenant over the security deposit after they’ve moved out. So, take photos of any pending issues in the unit, like uncleanliness and damages.
Attach the evidence to the lease and the inspection move-out form. It’s generally better if you conduct the walk-through together with the tenant moving out so they know the reasons why they may be missing any amount of money on their returned deposit. Because of this, you should plan for these inspections at a time convenient to both of you.
7. Tenant Approval of the Inspection Report
It is usually required in most places that the tenant signs on the final inspection report. This means they are in accord with the findings and agree to all the clauses on the lease agreement connected to their moving out assessment report. Also, you cannot deduct from their security deposit to conduct any repairs they’ve not agreed to. Doing so might have legal implications, especially if the tenant decides to sue you. Avoid unnecessary problems; get the tenant to sign all the inspection forms and issue them a copy.
8. Get Tenant’s Forwarding Address
What if the tenant leaves the house in such a deplorable condition that even their security deposit cannot cover all the needed repairs? The address will come in handy in case you need to contact them later. For instance, you may want the tenant to collect something they left behind, forward them mail, return their security deposit, or collect money owed. Not having a forward address will make it hard to reach out to them once they vacate.
9. Get Your Keys Back
It’s now their moving out day! Don’t let the tenant vacate the property without issuing you back the keys. You can plan to collect the keys and lock the house or request the tenant to drop them off in a particular place. The issue of returning all the keys by the tenant should be well indicated on the lease agreement, followed by a clear description of any consequences.
Such clauses give the tenant a specified timeframe to return the keys and a penalty if they fail. The same sections should also state the charges for lost or broken keys. You might also consider taking the time to confirm if the keys left are compatible with the installed locks.
10. Organize Cleaning and Repair Services
When the unit is once again entirely your responsibility, it’s time to get it ready for the next incoming tenant. Whether the previous tenant had handled the cleaning and repairs or not, you need to ensure the house is completely tidy. Also, double-check that all appliances are functioning properly.
Some repairs and renovations are not possible or just a lot more difficult while there are still people living there, for instance, repainting. Arrange for handymen to complete any pending works immediately after the tenant moves out and get a cleaning crew to deep clean the rental unit thoroughly. Make sure the carpets are deep cleaned, the cupboards and drawers completely wiped out, and the walls as spotless as possible. If there is a need for fumigation, do it before you make the new tenant moves in.
After 30 Days
Return the tenant’s security deposit. You shouldn’t delay refunding the security deposit further than the required period but take time to ensure you don’t miss out on some things indicated on the final inspection report. Otherwise, you’ll have to pay for any overlooked services out of pocket.
Remember, the amount returned to the tenant will depend on whether they had any deductions like:
- Unpaid rental fees
- Damages that required them to repair
- Unpaid utility bills
- Cleaning charges
When refunding the deposit, ensure you attach a detailed list of the fixed damages along with the charges, and maybe even attach the contractor’s copies. If there are no deductions necessary, mail the tenant their total deposit. Use the forward address they gave to you while vacating.
Conclusion
These moving-day tips will hopefully help you have a smooth moving-out process with your tenants, but remember, not all tenant move-outs will happen amicably. Some will be as a result of eviction or breaching of the lease agreement. Whatever the case, both you and the renter should
- Conduct a detailed evaluation of the unit using the move-out inspection checklist.
- Abide by the moving-out guidelines as stated on the lease agreement.
- Remember they are legally bound by the lease agreement they signed.
- Document any disagreements by either party; if the affected persons decide to pursue legal help, evidence will be required.
If you decide to work with a property management company, you can avoid many problems, and being a property owner can be so much easier. Here at Specialized Property Management Orlando, we know how to manage your property efficiently. We have a very effective tenant screening method, which makes sure that you get only the best tenants for your property, and we take care of all the moving day details. We’ll even arrange for the property to be cleaned and repaired where needed. For more information, call us at 407-698-3322 or check us out online!
