The more rental units you own the more likely you will be spending time working to find new tenants when vacancies open up. Generally when a landlord or property manager finds out a tenant is not renewing their lease their primary focus becomes how they are going to fill the vacancy. The expectations for the tenants that are moving out is that they will be out of the apartment by a certain date and if there is any damage to the rental it will be deducted from the security deposit. However, there is a lot that can go wrong when tenants move out. They could leave the place a mess, move out late, damage your rental or building while moving and be bothersome to other tenants during the moving process (e.g. taking up the elevator for hours at a time). Even if they damage your rental property or take something that is not theirs and you rightfully keep all or some of their security deposit they may decide to press the issue in court or at least attempt to harm your reputation as a landlord or property manager.
Preparing your tenants to move out by following some simple steps can make the moving process go smoothly and make it clear to tenants under what circumstances they would lose some or all of their security deposits, so there is no confusion.
When your tenants give you notice that they are leaving provide them with a list of tasks they need to perform before they move out. This list can include things they need to fix or clean and changing the name on the utilities right before they leave.
Let tenants know that any damage that is not from normal wear and tear will be deducted from their security deposit and they will be provided with pictures of the damage and estimates of the repair cost.
Notify tenants of move out time requirements so they can follow the rules and not have their move get in the way of other tenants functioning.
Some tenants try to get away with not paying the last month’s rent and instead attempt to have the security deposit cover the last month’s rent. This action leaves the landlord or property manager with having to chase after tenants if there is damage that should have been deducted from the security deposit. Therefore, remind tenants when their last rent check is due and the timeframe for when they will receive their security deposit.
Prepping tenants to move out is not very helpful if you do not have an effective property management system that keeps track of your rental maintenance and repair issues. In addition, keeping track of your rentals leases, costs and invoices within your Building Management Software will save you time and money in the long term. Therefore, ensure you are following the best practices when running you rental property which includes preparing tenants to move out and having a state of the art property management system.
This post is provided by RISSOFT Residential and Commercial Property Management Software, specializing in innovative and cutting-edge property management software for all 50 states. Request a demo or contact us today to receive more information.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this post in not intended to be construed as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for obtaining individual legal counsel or consulting your local, state, federal or provincial tenancy laws.