A tenancy period is basically a predetermined time at a certain place on a monthly or annual rental basis. You have to abide by certain rules and regulations during this entire renting period, and vacate it on or before the fixed time. This end of the tenancy period is full of mixed feelings for you. You are all excited to find an entirely new place and create a sweet home there. While you also are nostalgic about leaving the old one. And the hassle that goes in the moving is something totally stressing!
There are certain things you ought to do before moving out of a certain property. This is legal and binding on you, as you signed the contract with certain terms and conditions; and also, there is a basic etiquette that is expected from your side. Failing which, your property owner can take some legal actions against you too. And also, it’s morally wrong to leave a house in a topsy turvy state at the time of moving out.
Important things to do before vacating a rented place:
- Go through your contract — It’s really important to abide by all the terms and conditions mentioned in a contract. Always refer to it to check out what you have to do at the time of vacating the house. There may be a list of “to do” things which you have to do at the time of vacating. It also includes giving the owner a prior notice of the day you’ll be vacating the place.
- Depersonalise the house — The house may have been your home for a long time. You of course would have designed and revamped it according to your wish. There could have been loads of personal pictures on the walls, memorabilia on the mantle, and tons of notes stuck on the backside of your bedroom’s door. There may be tens of such other things in the place too. But it is time to change the scenario. When a person enters the house after you leave, he/she should be able to visualise him/herself in that space. Too many personal stuffs hinder that vision. Example – you may enjoy having bold colours on your walls, but the next tenant may not be comfortable with it, and those colours may put him/her off from renting the place.
- Repair all the damages done by you —Since you have been residing at the place for long, there would have been certain areas that got damaged during your stay from daily wear and tear. There could be a peeling paint on the walls, or a lock or handle that would have come out during your stay there. The damages that occurred during your stay have to be repaired by you. Always personally check for those damages and get those repaired by an expert. You can also choose to pay the owner the adequate amount that may go in the repair if you don’t have time to do the needful.
- Thorough cleaning — A thorough cleaning of the house is required from your side after all your stuffs have been transferred from the place. (It’s necessary, as when you entered the place it was sparkling clean for you, and naturally the same is expected from you too!) It includes the interior and exterior cleaning as well. If you are too busy setting up the new place or couldn’t find the time to do the same, you can hire professionals to carry out the end of tenancy cleaning. Flash Cleaning offers you budget friendly, but A grade cleaning carried out in an efficient manner in the shortest possible time. This would take off a huge load and elbow grease off your plate.
- Pay utility bills — You should clear all the bills generated during your stay. Make sure you either pay those bills directly or handover the sum to the owner. This would be listed in your contract and is also natural as you have utilised the resources during the time of your stay, and you should be obliged to pay for the same.
- Secure the keys and handover — Your basic responsibility as a tenant is to safeguard the house. Never leave the place open in the haste of shifting to a new place. Also, all the different keys of various rooms and cupboards should be handed over personally to the owner too. Make sure to keep them all secured in a safe place and double check every lock when you are vacating the place.
These are some of the mandatory to-do list that you just can’t avoid or forget when you are vacating a place.
