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Your Apartment Move-Out Checklist
Moving out of your apartment can be a stressful experience. Use a move-out checklist of tasks to help leave the guesswork behind. Start with this handy checklist of things, and add any additional tasks that apply to your move. (You might also check out our full moving checklist for a step-by-step guide to the entire apartment moving process.)
Three months before your move:
● Read your lease thoroughly to find out how much advance notice is required. Two months’ (or 60 days’) notice is a common requirement, but some leases require 90 days.
● Find out what you need to do to get your security deposit back.
● Give formal notice of your impending move as dictated by the terms of your lease. You may wish to send a copy of your notice by certified mail. (Read a sample letter for giving notice.)
● Start looking for recommended moving companies, if you think you’ll need this service. If you’re moving during a particularly busy season, such as May (when college students leave) or August (when college students arrive), for instance, you may want to book in advance.
Four weeks before your move:
● Fill out a change of address form with the post office.
● Begin notifying utility companies (electricity, gas, phone, cable, Internet) of your service changes. You may need to cancel service, or, in some cases, you may be able to transfer service to your new address.
● Make a reservation to rent a moving van or truck, if you’re moving yourself.
● Start packing items you don’t use very often, such as books or knickknacks.
● Send your landlord or community management your new contact information.
The week before your move:
● Remove any pictures you hung on the wall and fill in any holes left behind, if required in your lease.
● Let your credit card issuers and banks know your new address. If you’re in school, you’ll need to notify the school; if employed, you’ll need to notify your human resources department.
● If you’ve been using communal areas of your apartment community (such as a laundry room or storage facility), check to make sure you have not left any belongings there.
The week of your move:
● Perform a thorough cleaning of your apartment, including sweeping floors, scrubbing bathrooms, and cleaning the oven. (You might find it easier to schedule a cleaning service to handle this for you.)
● Schedule a checkout walkthrough of your apartment with your landlord or apartment community manager. You may wish to walk through the apartment alone first to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
● Talk with your property management team and determine when you will get your security deposit back. Mark the date on your calendar so you can follow up, if necessary.
● Make sure the landlord or community manager gets everything back from you that pertains to the unit, including keys and access cards.
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