New Tenant Checklist for Landlords: Move-Out Day
Move-out day can be dreadful if you have ideal tenants. In other circumstances, move-out day can't come soon enough. Whichever your situation may be, it's important to remember that this important day in your lease agreement still requires a reasonable amount of time and effort on your part.
As a landlord, you want to make sure that you do everything in your ability to ensure a seamless move-out day, much like their move-in day. Let's take a closer look at what that entails in this new tenant checklist for landlords: move-out day.
Move-Out Day Checklist
Move-out day can be just as stressful for both landlords and tenants as move-in day. Remember that it is your job as a landlord to support your tenants as much as possible through their departure. Maintaining a positive landlord-tenant relationship will allow you to reach out to your previous tenant with any questions you might have about the property after they have moved out.
The process of creating a move-out day checklist is quite similar to the move-in day checklist. You should provide your tenants with the checklist at least two weeks before their move-out date. Because they’ll likely forget all of the details you went over during move-in day, it's a kind gesture to remind them of the process once more. Setting your expectations clearly and early helps to avoid miscommunication later on.
Like the move-in checklist, the move-out checklist will detail every aspect of each room within your rental property. Since the move-in column will be filled, you will use this information to compare the condition from move-in day to move-out day to see if the tenant will be financially responsible for any damages. You'll remember that some of the things listed for each room may include:
- Shades/blinds
- Screens
- Windows
- Lightbulbs
- Light fixtures
- Outlet/switches
- Closet
- Doors
- Flooring
- Ceiling
- Walls
- Blank spaces that were filled in at move-in
Goodbye Package
Not only should you provide your tenant with the move-out checklist, but it's also a good idea to provide them with a goodbye package. You can give them a physical copy or opt to send them this information via email. Save this information, so you have it readily available for tenants in the future.
Your goodbye package should be unique to your property and include things like:
- Information about providing adequate notice (30-days is standard)
- Confirmation of move-out date
- Email to schedule the move-out inspection
- Move-out checklist
- Details of how the deposit will be returned
- List of items to be obtained upon move out
- Keys (including community keys, parking, or gate opener)
- Forwarding address
Make Repairs
Once you've completed your final walkthrough with your previous tenant, you'll have notes of any repairs that will need to be handled on your move-out checklist. Keep in mind that you'll have to get these repairs done quickly to stay in line with returning your previous tenant's deposit as per legal obligation.
Always be mindful of costs when making repairs in your unit. Whether you are fixing it yourself or bringing a professional in, you'll need to keep close track of the prices.
After all the repairs have been completed, you can total everything up and deduct the portion the previous tenant was responsible for from their security deposit. Any deductions you make from this deposit must be detailed with costs for your last tenant to see for themselves.
Return the Security Deposit
In the best-case scenario, your previous tenant has turned your property back over to you in the same condition it was at move-in, in which case you'll be able to return their security deposit in full.
The worst-case scenario is that your previous tenant destroys your home, and the repair costs exceed the security deposit amount. In this situation, you'll have to seek out additional charges from your tenant. This is yet another reason to maintain a positive relationship through the tenure of your lease agreement so that when a situation like this arises, you can quickly get the agreed-upon compensation.
More than likely, though, your situation will fall somewhere in the middle. It's entirely normal for tenants to have some wear and tear on your property, especially those who have lived there for an extended amount of time. Thankfully, they'll return the security deposit knowing everything was detailed in the lease agreement.
Make sure you do your homework and find any legal obligations to hold security deposits and return them to your tenants. Laws can vary from city to state, so you must stay up-to-date with the laws in your area.
Complete Any Renovations
It's important to distinguish between repairs and renovations. Repairs are things mentioned during your final walk-through with your previous tenant that they may be responsible for.
Renovations, however, cover the necessary upgrades to your apartment that are entirely your responsibility. For example, if your previous tenant lived in your property for five years, when they move out, it's more than likely certain fixtures around your home need upgrades. In these instances, you will cover the costs of replacing, not your previous tenant.
Significant renovations, like knocking out a wall or changing flooring, can make a world of difference in getting your property rented out quicker. It's always important to know what other units in your area offer and renovate between tenants accordingly to stay competitive.
Repaint the Walls
Walls soak up all sorts of things and are prone to UV ray discoloration. So, if you walk into your rental property after your previous tenants have moved out and feel like it looks incredibly dingy, it might be as simple as giving your walls a fresh coat of paint.
It is incredible how big of a difference fresh paint can make on a unit. Best of all, painting your walls is a relatively inexpensive fix. Your next tenants will be grateful to move into a unit with newly painted walls and also be more likely to take care of your walls while they're living in your property.
Recarpet the Floors
If your unit has carpet and your tenants have been on the property for some time, you should look into recarpeting. Even more so, if you allow pets in your unit, you should always recarpet the floors after tenants move out.
You have no idea what type of bugs and germs your previous tenants may have brought into your home. Rather than taking the risk, it’s best to recarpet.
If you aren't interested in recarpeting your floors frequently, you might want to consider pulling out the carpet entirely and replacing it with tile, wood, or laminate flooring. Think about the costs associated with each, including the maintenance, to determine the best fit.
Change the Locks
Since keys can be copied without you knowing, you have no idea who has a copy of a key to your rental property. To ensure no one can access your unit after your previous tenants have moved out, change out all of the locks.
While this step might seem excessive, the benefits well outweigh the costs. You can also ensure your next tenants that you've changed out all the locks, letting them know you prioritize their safety.
Check Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Detectors
As a landlord, safety should always be a primary concern. As such, you should check the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. Make sure they are still intact and working correctly before listing your house to the next potential renters.
Schedule Professional Cleaners
Once you've finished everything else on your list, it's time to schedule professional cleaners to come in and give your unit a proper cleaning. This last step is crucial in getting your property ready to be listed once again.
Although you may think that you can clean your property sufficiently, it's best to call in professionals. Having a professional cleaning will make your property show better in person and for pictures if you need more for your new listing.
Relist Unit for Sale
Once you've gone through the motions of clearing out your previous tenants, it's time to relist your unit. Make sure you choose a platform that you trust. After all, you're losing money as long as your unit sits vacant.
Let Apartment List be your go-to to get your unit listed and fast. We'll speedily deliver you with prospective tenants eager to rent or purchase your unit, depending on what you are looking for.
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