Move Out on Good Terms

There is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Moving out of your apartment the right way ensures that you protect yourself from potential liabilities, while at the same time getting a recommendation from your landlord. A recommendation from a previous landlord is a key asset when you are searching for a new apartment. Follow a few simple guidelines to ensure that your move goes smoothly.

• Clean up after yourself: Be honest with yourself. If you are not a tidy person, you probably have a lot of catching up to do in terms of cleaning. Block off a day or two in the weeks leading up to moving day to do some serious cleaning. Think of how your landlord, or the new tenants, would feel about how the apartment looks. Moving out means you should get your apartment to look like it did when you moved in.
• Take pictures when you move out: Document the state of your apartment a day or two before you move out. If you’ve really cleaned it so that it looks like it did when you moved in, you should make a record of it. That way you have a time-stamped record of how you left the apartment.
• Give a notice: If you are on a monthly rental agreement, let your landlord know in advance that you are moving. Give the proper amount of notice that is in your contract, likely 30 or 60 days. Staying within the bounds of your contract is a must in order to ensure a recommendation by your landlord that you can use in the future.

Be respectful when moving out of your apartment to ensure that you get a good recommendation in the future, and that you protect yourself from liability.