Vacating the place you’re currently renting is no small task. You have to give notice, pack everything, change addresses and more. Moving out can be quite chaotic, and it’s easy to forget to do one or more things that could come back to bite you in the near future.
You must consider everything from cleaning and damage repair, leaving a forwarding address, or even helping find a new tenant. What if you must leave in a hurry without enough time to give proper notice?
We’ll discuss all this and more in our article, so read on!
Cleaning the Property to Get Your Deposit Back
Doing a proper end of tenancy cleaning is not something you should overlook. This entails often neglected chores, like cleaning your oven, defrosting and cleaning the fridge, etc.
Would you want to move into a property that’s still dirty from the previous tenants? If you were a landlord, would you like to have to pay a company to clean your property out of your own pocket?
If neither of these scenarios sounds nice, you should roll up your sleeves and start cleaning!
Getting your security deposit returned to you in full may depend on how good of a job you’ve done with your end of tenancy cleaning.
If you’ve overlooked a lot of spots, like under the couch, behind the fridge, the bathroom tiles, etc., that could lead to a deduction from your deposit.
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to clean the property as well as your landlord would like, don’t be afraid to seek the aid of professional cleaners, who will guarantee you get your deposit back in full!
Ensure There’s No Damage to The Property
Inspect the home for any damage you might have caused during your stay there–this also includes any harm caused by pests, for which you are obliged to inform your landlord.
If you’ve drilled holes to hang up paintings, then you will have to fill them so there’s no easily-visible mark left.
If you’ve repainted any walls without your landlord’s consent, you must ask whether they agree with the new colour or if you need to return the walls to their original appearance.
Of course, there is an acceptable amount of wear and tear that comes with the use of a dwelling. Anything more than that is your responsibility to repair before ending your tenancy, or you will face a deduction or complete loss of your deposit, depending on the severity of the damage.
Leave a Forwarding Address
When ending your tenancy, you need to provide your landlord or letting agent with a forwarding address. This is the address where they can contact you in the future and send any correspondence, such as letters or bills.
This will ensure that you receive any important mail or legal notices that may be sent to you in the future and that the new tenants are not mistakenly contacted by your mail.
It’s a good idea to provide both a postal address and an email address or phone number where you can be contacted.
If you fail to provide a forwarding address, your landlord may have difficulty contacting you in the future, and you may miss out on important correspondence.
This could potentially lead to legal issues if, for example, your landlord needs to contact you about a deposit refund or other important matters.
Help Find a New Tenant
If you leave on short notice, your landlord might withhold your security deposit, or if you have a fixed-term tenancy, they could hold you accountable for the loss of any rental payments until they find a new tenant to take your place.
If such an issue arises, the best solution for both sides would be to find a new tenant ASAP.
For you, that would mean asking around to see whether any friends or relatives are looking for a home to rent and could take your place.
You can also post advertisements online and/or in newspapers that you’re looking for someone to take your rental. Describe the home and the current rent you are paying.
If people contact you, show them the property, explain that you are moving out and that you’re unsure whether the landlord will increase the rent.
If they are interested in renting the apartment, give them the landlord’s name and phone number, and tell them to contact the landlord directly.
Renewing Rental Agreements
If you plan to stay in the property beyond the end of your current tenancy agreement, you must renew it with your landlord. This typically involves negotiating a new lease term, agreeing on any changes to the rental price or conditions, and signing a new contract.
It’s essential to start the renewal process early, ideally a few months before your current lease expires, to ensure you have enough time to negotiate any changes and finalise the agreement. If you decide to start the renewal process too late, you may find that your landlord is unwilling to renew the lease or has already made arrangements to lease the property to someone else.
Risks of Leaving Without Notice
Everything happens in life, and you might need to leave your current rental urgently. However, if you leave without giving enough notice, you may be breaking the terms of your tenancy agreement.
Failure to give notice can result in the landlord or letting agent taking legal action against you to recover any unpaid rent or damages to the property and/or withholding your deposit.
Another risk of leaving without notice is that you may damage your rental history and credit rating. If you owe rent or damages, the landlord or letting agent may report this to credit reference agencies, which could affect your ability to rent future properties or obtain credit.
Leaving without notice can also make it difficult for the landlord to find a new tenant quickly. This can result in the property being vacant for longer, leading to a loss of income on behalf of the landlord.
Conclusion
Ending your tenancy can be an arduous process and requires doing a lot of different tasks in a relatively small amount of time. No matter the reason for vacating your current rental, there are some things that you should always take care of before you move out.
And now that you’ve read our article, you know all there is to know about the end of your tenancy! You’ve learned precisely what you must do to make the whole process that much easier for you and your landlord.