Things to Consider When Leaving a Rental House

It's probably not fun to leave a rental house, but if you're going to move on and start fresh in your next location, it's important to make sure everything goes smoothly. The following list of things may help you think about what to take with you, what will be left behind, and the potential steps necessary for moving from one rental property to another.

Disconnect utilities.

The first step in the process is complete utility shut offs. Double check that you've disconnected all relevant services, such as water, electricity, and gas. It's probably a good idea to contact the companies early on to make sure you're on their schedule for scheduled shut offs rather than taking the chance of missing a deadline when you don't have control over the service schedule.

Lock up everything if possible.

If you have rental insurance, you can be sure that this covers your property for the time that it's vacant. That said, it's not a bad idea to go over the house and look for anything out of place or missing that isn't supposed to be. Especially if you close up the house regularly, it may take looking at familiar scenes from a different perspective to notice something suspicious. Close the windows and lock them with whatever locks are available. Make sure all doors are locked and secured by deadbolts or other relevant locking mechanisms.

Clear out what you want to take with you.

You'll need to clear out the house of all furniture, appliances, and other items that you want to take with you when you move on. It's probably a good idea to keep these items organized and grouped in one area so that they're easy to load onto your moving van when it comes time. Make sure nothing is left behind. The less trash that needs to be cleaned up, the better for your landlord and for your future neighbors.

Make sure that nothing is broken and that the place is livable.

It's a good idea to go through the house and make sure that everything works. Make sure all lights, appliances, water, heating, etc., are all in good working order and in the correct locations. Also, make sure everything on the property is in at least a satisfactory condition. If you notice that something is broken or damaged beyond repair, it's a good idea to have it fixed or replaced before you leave.

Do your best to clean up the property.

It's not a bad idea to do your best in keeping the property clean and tidy before you leave. It doesn't need to be spotless, but try to take out any trash, remove any clutter on surfaces, and generally make things look nice for the next person who moves in. Not only is this good for the integrity of the property, but it can help you in the future if you want to rent your place again.

Make sure to follow the timeline required by your state or area.

Many states and landlords require that you have your house inspected and ready to move into within a certain period of time after you've moved out. Some even require that you have the house cleared of all trash, furniture, or other belongings before they will allow it to be rented again. Be sure to follow any timeline that may be involved.

Leave your keys.

It's a good idea to leave your keys with the landlord or manager of the property. This can be done by dropping off the keys at their place of residence, having someone hand deliver them, or mailing them in advance. It is usually a good idea for there to be no chance that you'll have access to the property after you've moved out, as this can complicate matters and create conflicts later on.

Ask if anything needs to happen before moving out.

It's always a good idea to leave this situation up to the landlord or manager of the property, but be sure to ask if anything should happen as a result of your leaving. This can include placing something like a notice in your mailbox, having mail delivered during that time, or having repairs done before you go. It's best to leave this up in the air rather than take any risks of making things more difficult for yourself or for them.

And finally... Move on.

It's time to start thinking about moving on. You've done the best you can to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Now, take a moment to reflect on what you've accomplished and how you feel about your new house. If it's not a good fit for you or for your life, you'll know what it is that's holding you back from being happy with the decision.

By following these steps, you will be happier in advance while moving to another house. Thank you so much for reading and see you on the next one.