Moving Out of a Rental

If you’re planning a move, the kindest thing you can do for yourself, your roommates, and your furry friends is to try to lighten up. It helps to be organized, and start early! Even if you’re also juggling finals and goodbye parties, do one moving task a day beginning up to six weeks before your move.

Do-Ahead Checklist

• If you’re moving on your own, contact truck rental companies and line up some hale and hearty friends for the big day (bribe them with beer and pizza).
• Begin collecting boxes and packing materials.
• If you have pets or young children, arrange for a sitter to take them on moving day.
• Gradually begin deep-cleaning to reduce the stress of final cleanup.
• Start packing items you won’t be using before the move; kids can help by packing their own off-season clothing and soft toys, or placing stickers on boxes.

Giving Notice

Most leases and rental agreements specify how much notice you’re required to give your landlord before moving — usually 30 days. Put your notice in writing and include that day’s date, your unit’s number if you’re in an apartment, and a forwarding address for your deposit refund. Keep a copy in a safe place. If you’re forced to move before the term of your lease has expired, discuss options as soon as possible with your landlord. In most states, landlords are required by law to hunt for a new tenant as soon as possible, sparing you from paying for the full term.Ask your current landlord for an extra day or two at the month’s end. You may be required to pay a prorated fee, but it’s worth it for a low-stress cleaning day. If not, ask your future landlord if you can move in a day or two early.

Moving Checklist

One Month Before you Move

• What can you do without? Have a garage sale, get busy on eBay, or make a donation to a favorite charity. If you have a big enough load, some not-for-profit organizations will make pickups.
• Start eating your frozen foods! Less to move.
• If you have a security system, give notice to the provider. Do you subscribe to any other services that require a 30-day notice to disconnect?

Three Weeks Before you Move

• Keep a-packin’, but don’t pack your camera. You’ll see why under “Making a Clean Break.”
• Arrange for help on cleaning day.
• Ask your landlord if he or she will do a walk-through with you after you’ve moved out and cleaned; it’s the best precaution against surprise deposit deductions. If the landlord has a cleaning checklist, ask for a copy to refer to when cleaning.

Two Weeks Before you Move

• Arrange to have new utilities connected the day before you move into your next home: gas, electricity, water, garbage, phone lines, high-speed computer access, and modem hookups.
• Call your current utilities providers and follow instructions for having meters read. Don’t cut off important utilities, including phone, until the day after you’ve moved out and cleaned up.
• Dig up your lease or rental agreement and check the sections that refer to your deposit. Some landlords specifically require that you fill nail holes, repaint, and the like.

Seven Days Before you Move

• Confirm that your landlord has your forwarding address.
• At least one day before moving, unplug, defrost, and clean the refrigerator.

Make a Clean Break

Cleaning and Deposit

Now that your furniture and boxes are out of the way, it’s time to get busy with the all-important job of cleaning. Think of it as being paid by the hour; you want that money back, right? If your landlord gave you a checklist, follow it closely. If friends are available to help, divide labors based on equipment needed — one of you can scrub the stove while another washes windows and another gets started on the bathroom.When you’re all done, take that tour with your landlord. Inspect every nook and cranny together, and write down any problems. If he or she is dissatisfied with any areas, stay calm, and discuss it on the spot until you agree on a solution. Discuss how much deposit money you should expect, and when you will receive it. In most states, law dictates that deposits (or portions thereof) must be returned within 30 days. Put all of this in writing, and have the landlord sign and date the sheet.Finally, take pictures of everything — every corner of every room. Photographs will be your best defense if you end up in a disagreement.

In the Event of a Dispute

In some states, landlords are required to provide you with an itemized list of deductions. What makes a deduction reasonable? Your lease should spell that out.

If you don’t get your deposit back within your state’s legal time frame, or if you receive what you consider an unfairly high deduction, follow these steps:

1. Phone your landlord, and tactfully ask about the delay. Invite him or her to meet with you to review documents and photographs. Sometimes simply showing that you’re willing to pursue a solution gets the ball rolling.
2. If the problem persists, phone your local Better Business Bureau and ask for their advice.
3. Consult with another neutral third party. Many cities offer publicly funded mediation at little or no cost. Call the office of your mayor or city manager and ask to be connected with someone who specializes in housing disputes or landlord-tenant mediation.
4. As a last resort, you can contact small claims court. (Then again, simply mentioning court might jog your landlord’s sense of fairness.) Filing a small claims suit can sometimes cost more than the money you’re trying to reclaim. Find out what your local law says about responsibility for court fees; in many states tenants have no legal mandate to pay for the landlord’s attorney fees, even if the lease says otherwise. Contact your state bar association to get a good picture of your options. In many cities legal support is available for tenants at low or no fee.