15 Essential Things To Do Before Moving Out Of A Rental - Investadisor (2024)

15 Things to Do Before Moving Out of a Place

Moving out of a house is never a pleasant experience for anybody. Even though you are relocating for a better one, it is the most stressful experience you can encounter in life. Whether you move frequently or for the first time, the list of things to do before moving out of a rental can be intimidating.

If you seek counsel from your real estate agent, they can significantly assist you. They’ve undoubtedly handled a lot of closings similar to yours and can recommend companies and people that can make your relocation go more smoothly.

An experienced agent will most likely anticipate future difficulties and prevent them from occurring in the first place. We’ve compiled a list of things you need to know before moving out.

Moving into a New House? Here are 15 Things to Do Before Moving Out?

1. Give your landlord a move-out notice.

The landlord has a right to know when you’re going to leave. You are required to submit your move-out notice to the landlord a month before the day you are anticipating moving out of the house.

Your move-out notice must be in written form describing the property, anticipated move-out date, and request for your deposit to be given back. Giving the notice on time helps the tenant look for another person to rent the house and plan their move within the timelines.

When you choose to move out before the leasing period expires, you must resolve the issue through two criteria; subleasing or subletting. Subleasing will allow someone to rent the house and pay it as if it’s you.

In subletting, the new renter pays the landlord’s rent. If neither of these options works out, you will be responsible for the entire lease term.

2. Inspect the property and fix the damage

The majority of the belongings on a rental home are not yours. As a result, just take the items that are yours. Leave the unit in the same condition as when you first entered. If there is any damage to the features, inspect them.

You are liable for all costs associated with repairing materials damaged due to your actions. If the damage was caused by chance events such as earthquakes or hurricanes, it is permissible.

3. Things To Do Before Moving Out Of A Rental – Pay off your bills

Before moving into a new location, settling all of your bills, taxes, service providers, and other services is preferable. However, some outstanding costs can be settled online; therefore, you can also plan to settle them once you have moved. After you’ve moved out, reach out to the service providers to have all of your services terminated.

Ensure you have utility readings before you move, maybe in the form of a photo for verification purposes. The landlord has the authority to take the money from your deposit to cover the delinquent charges. As a result, it is vital to check any bills to ensure they are not outstanding.

4. Research your move- Do a Cost Estimator.

It’s critical to conduct a proper study before relocating to a new house or city, especially if you don’t have prior experience living in that particular region. Some of the key things you would like to be aware of include crime rates, access to social amenities, and restaurants.

The cost for these services will be key to note before you decide to move to a particular place. You will also need to know the cost of moving to your job area from where you will be staying. It is also critical to understand the cost of moving to that place in terms of rental charges, leasing charges, and the cost of moving your items.

5. Finalize lease contracts for the new place

A leasing contract is a binding agreement between the tenant and the house owner; it specifies the conditions and terms of staying in such a property for a leasing fee. Therefore, before you move into a new house, the two parties involved must sign the leasing contract.

The contract helps you understand your rights as a tenant and the boundaries under which the property manager operates.

When finalizing the leasing agreement, examine the clauses that determine the length of time you are allowed to stay and the time after which your landlord may request a rent rise. If you disagree with any clauses, speak up and have them altered right away.

6. Update your address and get organized – Forward Mail

Make sure your mail address is updated. You can make the updates via the USPS website or plan a visit to a post office to fill all relevant documents. Post office takes 60 days to forward the mail to your service providers, so ensure you notify any service you have subscribed to that you are moving to a new address.

You can ensure that you leave your forwarding address with the new buyers in case there is any box delivered to the house you have left. Give the buyer the mailbox key and the number and location of the mailbox.

7. Arrange a date to Disconnect Utilities

Notify your utility company, such as gas, sewer, water, and waste, of your relocation. Give them the day you’ll be terminating service and the address where your final bill will be sent. Mainly the termination of the service should be the last day you will be in that house.

If you have a subscription with any newspaper company, ensure you terminate the supply agreement and unplug your security alarm service. Setting everything up in advance will ensure that the new occupants have no problems—and that you are not charged for their service consumption.

8. Arrange a date to Cancel Homeowners Insurance

Getting a new homeowner insurance policy for your new home does not automatically terminate the already existing policy with the insurance.

Therefore, before moving out of your current house, ensure you notify your insurance agent to terminate the already existing homeowner insurance policy to avoid being charged the policy fee.

9. Things To Do Before Moving Out Of A Rental – Organize Moving Boxes

It is better to organize your packing boxes before you start loading the lorry or the hired movers arrive to initiate the process. You need to be aware that the box that gets into the truck first will be the last to offload. Therefore, ensure the boxes are arranged based on rooms.

The rooms in your house should be labelled either by number or colour. The labelling process makes it easier for the movers to identify the location of every box in your new home.

10. Get ready to move home-clean the place.

While you’re busy packing boxes and moving things about, ignoring a house cleaning is easy. Ensure that you clean the floors, surfaces, shelves, and walls throughout the premises by dusting, vacuuming, and wiping them down.

Be thoughtful towards others. New people are shifting in, and their expectations are likely similar to yours when you first bought the house. Also, visit the place you are to move into and ensure that the house is properly cleaned before your items are moved into the house.

11. Prepare to leave your old house- Pack smart.

Starting early is the best method to pack for a move. Be very keen so that you don’t leave some of your essentials behind.

Instead of hauling your stuff to your new house, organize them and dump, recycle, or donate what you don’t need. You may easily hire movers to help you pack and relocate your belongings.

12. Do a walkthrough with the owner – Check Each Room.

The walkthrough gives the owner the chance to inspect the house room by room before moving out. The owner might use the walkthrough to ensure that everything is in the same state as initially.

They can make sure the tenant hasn’t removed anything from the house that they shouldn’t have. The owner can also examine if the tenant has completed the repair of damaged assets.

13. Get your damage deposit cheque back.

When it’s time to leave, inspect the house with the owner or property manager, utilizing your initial checklist and photos to examine any damage that transpired while you were there.

Ensure that all damages are fixed and that everything on the premises is in working condition. When everything is in order, the landlord is required to return the money you paid as a deposit when you initially moved in.

14. Lock up and move out

When everything is settled with the house owner or the property manager and your deposit cheque is paid back, you can actualize your move out. Ensure nothing belonging to you is left behind. Lock the house and move out.

15. Move to the new property.

Ensure that everything about your new home is in order, from the lease contract to the utilities set up. Then transport your belongings to the new residence and make sure they are nicely organized. Take pleasure in your new surroundings.

Conclusion

Moving out of a rented home can be a traumatic experience. To avoid more serious conflicts when you move out, understand what to do before moving out of a house.

Of all, no one wants to start a new life and be concerned about what is behind. To truly appreciate your new house, observe the 15 things to do when moving house.