Moving out of your home, here are the mistakes most renters make. Get your deposit back by avoiding the following:
Not reading your lease
Read the move out obligations of the lease. Moving in we are so excited to get the keys to your new home that we forget to read the terms of the lease. Take a look at your lease and really read about the move out process! As soon as you decide to make a change. Pull out the lease and read through it again. If you are unsure- ask!
Choosing to not inform to the Owner/Manager about your move?
Hopefully by now you understand the move-out requirements of the lease. Most leases require a certain notice period, some 30 days, some 60 days, etc. Be sure you know when to submit the notice so you can start off on the right foot! Remember, if there are several lease holders named on the lease, it must be signed by all lease holders. Best case scenario is to contact your housing provider and they will usually provide a form for ease of this process. Also- don’t forget to follow up and make sure they received it!
Not fixing easy things
It is a good idea to fix things that become damaged or fail due to wear and tear through the life of your Lease. Don’t wait till the last minute, if you do not take care of it, it can cause additional damage to the rental, and you can be held liable. An Owner/Manager wants the home to be well maintained- for your comfort as well as for the preservation of the owner’s property. An easy move out is ideal for everyone! Lightbulbs, always replace light bulbs.
Forgetting to shut off utilities and clean up the yard!
If you have a rental that has a yard, landscaping responsibilities, and of course utilities, remember you have a responsibility to manage those items through the move-out process. For example trash – be sure you have planned for it to be picked up before terminating service. Be sure to have a clean up done of the yard, front and back. If you leave things behind, then they are going to need to be hauled off. All these expenses can ultimately be billed back to you. Remember, when you have a rental that has these items as your responsibility, you must ensure they are handled to the very end.
Not allowing your manager or owner handle certain things
When it comes to paint. You can try to do it yourself, but if you choose the wrong color or finish it will cost you so much more. Or the cleaning, if we send in the company and think they should do better we can send them back. No additional charge to you. But if you do it and it is not up to standard, you could end up paying twice.
Deliver your keys to your Housing Provider
Returning legal possession means giving all keys and/or remotes to the Owner/Manager. If you fail to do this then they do not have right to take the property back. There is a lengthy and costly legal process that you could be on the hook for. Avoid this completely by turning in your keys, remotes timely and before moving out of state! Don’t take them with you!
