Moving out of an old apartment and into a new one or perhaps the first home, is an exercise that entails a lot of details. The best thing for you to do is to make a formal list of things that need to get done so that you do not forget anything important. To help you put this list together, here are a few of the most important things to do before you return your rented property to the owner.
Read Your Rental Agreement
The average renter only reviews the rental agreement when they rent the apartment. The agreement contains many regulations and details regarding how you have to return the apartment. You need to make sure that you understand clearly exactly how this must occur. It will tell you about the state that you must leave, you apartment, what you might be charged for if things are not up to the satisfaction of the landlord, and nothing details that you need to know before you turn over the apartment to your landlord. So take the time and go through this agreement carefully to make sure that you fully understand what your obligations are. This could save you money and lots of time.
Give Notice to Your Landlord
The rental agreement will likely spell out how much advance notice you need to give your landlord before you leave. If you are on a fixed term lease, and your lease is up, it is likely that you have already spoken with your landlord and informed them that you are leaving. If not, immediately call your landlord and say that you intend to leave. Some landlords assume that if you do not give them notice, you will likely extend your rental agreement. To avoid any confusion, call your landlord and say that you intend to leave at the end of the lease term.
If you have a term lease and would like to leave early, let your landlord know as soon as you know you want to leave. Ask what length of notice would be appropriate for them to not have any issues with you breaking your lease. You might have to forfeit part of your down payment by breaking the lease early, but this is something you can discuss with your landlord and the earlier you announce it, the better the chances are that you can save yourself some money here.
If you are not on a fixed term lease, tell your landlord that you are leaving as soon as you know and typically you need to let them know one month in advance.
In any case, always check the terms of your agreement because some contracts may ask for different lengths of notice you have to give.
Do a Good Cleaning
Before you hand over your apartment, you should do a good cleaning. Make sure to clean and places that you may not have used often, and clear out any of your possessions from the apartment. You should also repair anything broken and replace anything that you might have damaged. It is best you do the cleaning repairing and replacing because if the landlord does it, you might be charged extra. If you live in Sydney and your apartment needs an end of lease cleaning Sydney has several companies that specializes in just that.
Change of Address Notifications
You should change the address of any services you are using. These include electricity, cable, water and any other services you use monthly. You will need to give companies a two week advance notice to make sure they have the time to move their services to the new location.
Again, let your landlord know as early as possible that you are moving as to avoid any issues. Moving can be made easier if you start these things earlier and plan them out.
Northern girl Laura is the epitome of a true entrepreneur. Laura’s spirit for adventure and passion for people blaze through House of Coco. She founded House of Coco in 2014 and has grown it in to an internationally recognised brand whilst having a lot of fun along the way. Travel is in her DNA and she is a true visionary and a global citizen.