Your tenancy has come to an end, and now there are a lot of different tasks you will need to juggle before you can successfully leave the property. Take a look at our guide to moving out.
Round off all your bills
Unpaid rent is the most common reason for tenants losing their deposit, so it is a good idea to check with your landlord or property manager before you move to make sure you’ve paid the correct amount.
You should also give your energy suppliers plenty of notice before you move so that they can organise a final bill. Make a note of your meter reading on the final day for reference – this will prove useful, should you be billed an incorrect amount.
You could also consider having your mail re-directed to your new address and you should inform any of your service providers such as TV, Internet etc. that you will be moving to a new house.
Give the place a good thorough clean
Landlords will need the property to be ready for the next tenant, so there will likely be a clause in your contract that stipulates that you will need to clean every nook and cranny of the property before you move out. If the property isn’t spotless, you could lose some of your deposit to a cleaning bill.
Spruce up the garden
The garden will also need to be in the same condition as when you moved in. Pull up any weeds, mow the grass and dispose of any garden waste properly. If the gardening tools belong to the landlord, ensure you leave them behind for the next tenant.
Thoroughly check the property for a final time…
Moving out of your rental property is a different proposition to moving out of your parent’s house or a property you may have owned. For the duration of your tenancy, you have essentially played the part of guest and caretaker of someone else’s property, so a good deal of the process will be focused on the condition of the property when you moved in vs when you left it.
To help avoid any issues, it’s a good idea to do a walkthrough of the property and compare it to the condition report and/or any pictures you or the lettings agent might have taken before the move. It’s also a good idea to take new images before you leave.
… and review the inventory
The inventory you received at the beginning of your tenancy will detail any items that the landlord had in the property, for example, gardening tools, small items of furniture, kitchen appliances etc. You will need to check that all these items are still in the property and that they’re all in working order, or you might face losing a portion of your deposit.
