Moving out?
There are a few steps that every tenant should take in the weeks leading up to the big move. So start planning early!
Please follow these steps to ensure that your property is transferred back to the landlord or agent in good condition.
- Clean the property
Once you have vacated, an inspection will take place and it’s important that you have left the property clean. Make sure to leave time to complete your final clean and don’t rush it, do it throughout the week to ensure nothing is missed.
You’ll want to make sure you clean all of the following areas:
Kitchen: Tops of cabinets & the fridge, windowsills, cabinet shelves & inside drawers, fridge shelves & freezer, oven, tile grout.
Bathroom: All parts of the toilet (including the back), shower doors and bath, mirrors, tile grout, glass screens, sink and under-sink storage area.
Living Room/Bedrooms/hallways: Floors, carpets, windows, closets, surfaces, skirting boards.
Gardens/Patio/Balcony: Tidy, cut grass, sweep, clean windows.
- Remove all belongings
We would recommend boxing up all of your possessions as this will result in less damage when moving them. Ensure that none of your possessions are left behind by checking everywhere! Spots that people usually would forget to check would be the attic, garden shed, under the stairs and some unused cupboards around the property. You should not leave any of your belongings behind unless agreed in advance with the landlord or agent.
- Remove all rubbish
Before you leave you and notice that there is some waste in bins or there are some items of clothing and even furniture that you might have bought and you don’t want anymore. Please ensure that all these items have been taken out of the property and removed, including your final trip to the bins to get rid of the last bag of general waste.
- Repairs and Maintenance
When moving out of a property there will always be a small bit of damage that might have gone unnoticed during the stay. What you should do is just inform the agent or landlord of any damages or missing items and they will look to see how to best replace or repair them.
- Utility bills and Subscriptions
You will want to remove the utilities from your name when you move out. To do this you will need to get some details such as the MPRN (from your electricity bill) and GPRN (from your gas bill). You will need to arrange meter readings too. If you don’t know where to get those, ask the agent or landlord. You may also want to contact your providers and cancel your TV subscription, broadband etc. Our advice would be to call them on the day you are vacating.
- Change of address
Ensure that when you are moving out, you inform all relevant companies and people of your new address. These may include:
- Friends
- Bank
- Revenue
- Doctors
- Phone company
- Insurance companies
- Employer
- Magazine subscriptions etc.
It’s very important that these people know about your address as important confidential information could be sent on.
- Returning the keys
Check with your landlord or agent which is the best way to return the keys. Often they will meet you at the property but if for some reason that’s not possible, other arrangements may need to be made. The final inspection will take place now and assuming everything is in order, the deposit will be returned to the tenant within a few days. The tenant should provide their bank account information.