There are so many things to keep in mind when you’re moving house. Moving can be stressful and people are often distracted by the excitement of their new property and forget things that need to be done with their old property. Whether you’re buying a property, or moving to another leased property, the process of moving out of your current leased property is the same.
The best place to start when you are moving at the end of your lease, is to review your lease agreement. There are often special conditions in the lease agreement about what cleaning or maintenance must be completed when exiting the lease. Some frequently seen examples of these conditions could be:
- Professional cleaning of carpets;
- Professional cleaning of any curtains, or other furnishings, included in the rental;
- Pest control treatments, especially in the case of pets being allowed at the rental property;
It is important to ensure that you obtain a receipt for any professional cleaning that is carried out. If professional cleaning if stipulated in the lease agreement, then the receipt/s for this cleaning will need to be presented to the property manager when exiting the lease.
It is equally as important to return the exterior of the property to the same condition as when you entered the lease agreement. You will need to ensure that the lawns are mowed, weeds are removed, and hedges and overgrown trees are trimmed back. Any plants or trees that have died during your tenancy will need to be replaced. This also includes the lawn, you might want to take some time in the last few weeks of your tenancy to do some extra watering of the lawn, so that it looks the best it can for the next tenant.
It goes without saying, that the property will need to be spotlessly clean. We have an end of lease cleaning checklist you can find here, which details the level of cleaning required in order to ensure the full bond is returned. Unless you are an extreme cleaning enthusiast, it may be worthwhile to invest in a professional bond cleaner. Many services will guarantee getting your bond back, or at least return to clean anything they may have missed. If you are looking for a recommendation of a trustworthy bond cleaner, your property manager will likely know someone that can help.
Once you know the date you will be exiting the property, be sure to get in touch with your utility providers. It’s astonishing how often this step is overlooked, and a tenant ends up paying for the utility usage of the subsequent tenant.
Equally, don’t forget to get in touch with places like your mobile phone provider and change your address. Setting up a mail redirection service following your exit of the premises can also be a good idea. This will alert you to any additional service providers which may need your address to be updated.
Our team of property management experts are ready to help. Call the office today for a no-obligation chat about your property, or the property you would like to find.