Give 30 Days Notice Before Moving
The majority of leases require that the tenant give the landlord written notice that they intend to move out at least 30 days before the move. Be careful about getting this done, because if you wait too long your lease may renew or you may have to pay an additional month’s rent. If the lease renews because the notice was received late there’s also a good chance you won’t get the deposit back.
Change Your Address
You can pick up a change of address form at your local post office or complete the form online at the USPS website. On the form, select the date for when the post office should start forwarding your mail based on when you anticipate you’ll be in your new apartment. Try to get everything set up two weeks in advance. If you live with someone else who will also be making the move and they have a different last name you’ll both need to fill out a change of address form. It’s best to also contact your credit card companies, cable company, phone provider, etc. to let them know you’ll be moving.
Shut Off or Switch the Utilities
Any utilities that aren’t handled by the apartment complex will need to either be scheduled for shut off or your account will need to be transferred on the day you make the move. You’ll most likely be dealing with the the electric, water and gas companies. Most companies have FAQ sections that answer questions about starting, stopping or transferring service.
Clean, Clean, Clean
In order to get your full deposit back the apartment must be in the exact same condition as when you moved in, minus normal wear and tear. That means you’ll need to deep clean the apartment. Even if you regularly clean your apartment you’re likely to find a little messiness once everything is moved out. Give everything a good scrub down and consider renting a carpet cleaner for the floors. You’ll also need to remove any staples or nails that you put in the walls. Do so very carefully and fix any holes.
If anything is broken do what you can to replace it yourself so that your deposit doesn’t get deducted. After you are done cleaning and replacing any fixtures take pictures of each room. That way there is documentation that you thoroughly cleaned the apartment.
Gather Up All the Keys
You’ll need to give back all the apartment keys, including:
- Front door keys
- Mail keys
- Gate keys
Schedule the Final Walk Through
It’s best to schedule the walk through for the day you know everything will be moved out of the apartment. You’ll want to be there during the inspection so you can handle any discrepancies on the spot and make sure everything is recorded accurately.
If you’re ready to make the move to a new apartment use the search tools at Apartments.com to find great places at the best monthly rates!
From: Aprartment.com
