Give at-least a 30-day notice
The majority of leases require the tenant give the landlord at-least a thirty-day written notice before moving. Be cognizant about making this a priority and getting it done. If you wait too long, your lease could possibly renew or you may be required to pay a significant amount of money in order to terminate (break) the lease. If the lease agreement renews because of a late lease cancellation notice, there’s a good chance the apartment management may withhold your deposit.
Change your home address
Renters that are moving can easily pick up a change of address form at the local post office, or complete one online at USPS. On the document, select the date of which the post office should start forwarding your mail, based on your anticipated move-in date. Try to have everything set up two weeks in advance. If you live with a roommate or significant other who will also be making the move, and they have different last names, you’ll both need to fill out an individual form. Make sure you contact your credit bureaus, doctor’s office, employer, etc. and let them know of your address change.
Shut off or transfer utilities
Any utilities not handled by the management company will need to be either shut off or transferred to your new place before moving out. Utilities to consider include electricity, water and gas. Most providers have an FAQ section about starting, stopping or transferring service.
Clean the apartment from top to bottom
In order to get your full deposit back, the apartment must be in the exact condition as when you moved in, minus normal wear and tear. That means you’ll need to do a deep cleaning of the apartment, townhome, or single-family home rental. Give everything a good scrub, and consider renting a carpet cleaner for the floors. You may also need to remove any staples or nails from the walls; be sure to ask your community manager for their own checklist.
Gather all your keys
Before you’re gone for good, the manager will require you to turnover all community/apartment keys and passcodes. These include badges, apartment keys, mail room keys, gate cards, etc.
Schedule a final walk-through
Schedule your walk-through the day you know everything will have already been moved out. You’ll want to be there during the inspection, so you can handle any discrepancies on the spot and make sure all notes/comments are accurately recorded.
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