There is a lot to think about as you’re packing up and making plans for the future. Make sure you’re organized when it comes to moving out of your current property. It will make a big difference in whether or not you receive the full refund of your security deposit.
Whether you’re moving into a rental home that better meets your needs, you’re buying a property, or relocating out of the area completely – we hope you’ve enjoyed your time living in a Portland rental property managed by our team at PropM.
Provide Notice to Vacate Your Portland Home
The first thing you’ll need to do is provide us with your intent to vacate. We usually touch base with our tenants a couple of months before the end of the lease term. We talk about whether you’re planning to renew, discuss the potential for rent increases, and ask you to either renew the lease if that’s an option or confirm your intention to move out.
Check the lease agreement you signed when you moved in. That will provide you with the amount of time that’s required to notify us that you’re moving. Follow the instructions and put your notice in writing. Remember – we want to document everything for your protection and ours.
Portland Rental Properties: Removing Personal Items
It’s very important that you remove all of your personal items. We know that you’ll do a good job of packing up all the things that you fully intend to take with you. But, don’t leave things behind if you decide that you don’t want them or you can’t move them or you’re not sure what to do with them. No one wants the things that you left behind. New tenants will expect to move into a home that’s completely cleared out.
In our experience, tenants who are moving out will often leave puzzling things behind. We see a lot of potted plants left in units. Or, the plants will be taken but the pots will remain. Everything needs to be moved out. If you’re not taking something with you, make sure you have plans to dispose of it.
We ask that you don’t leave behind any of the following: furniture, trash cans, woodblocks, and other belongings. The personal items that you leave behind will have to be removed by our team, and that leads to us hiring a vendor to come in and haul them away. That’s an inconvenience and it’s also going to result in an unwanted charge to you. There’s no reason for us to pay for what you’ve forgotten to do, and there’s no reason for the property owner to pay for it. This will be your responsibility, so please remove everything that you brought into the property.
Tenants sometimes become angry when they see a deduction from their security deposit for these services. But, it’s something you should expect. We’re very clear about this. When you move out – take absolutely everything with you. This is an important responsibility.
Clean the Portland Rental Property
Cleaning is the most important thing you can do when you’re moving out of the home. We know that everyone has different standards of cleanliness. We know that a simple sweep of a broom might leave you feeling like you’ve met your obligations. However, we expect to receive the property in the same clean condition that it was when we rented it out to you.
This is an area that always brings out strange behavior in our tenants. We get a lot of residents who insist that they are leaving the property cleaner than it was when they moved in. Then, we’ll show them pictures of the pizza we found in the microwave or the empty cardboard boxes that are filling up a closet. We’ll point out the dirt in the oven and the excessive soap crusted to the side of the shower door. These things were not present when you moved in. We work hard to provide our new tenants with a clean, move-in ready property. We hire professional cleaners to scrub it for you.
Not everyone loves to clean. If you’re not detail-oriented when it comes to cleaning, consider hiring a professional who will come in and clean the entire place for you. Not only will this ensure the home is as clean as it can possibly be – it will also help you get your security deposit back in full.
Provide a Forwarding Address
Make sure you let our office know exactly when you plan to move out. We’ll need you to return all the keys, remotes, and any other objects or openers that may have come with the property. We will also ask you for a forwarding address. This is important to ensure we’re able to get the security deposit back to you in a timely manner. Please don’t forget to leave us your new address.
Return the Property to Its Move-In Condition
In addition to the cleaning and the removal of all your personal property, you’ll have to take a look around and make sure you restore the home to the way it looked when you moved in.
After you provide us with your notice to vacate, we’ll send you the move-in video we took before your lease began. This will give you a good opportunity to compare the condition of the home now to the condition it was in before you took possession. If you forgot what the place looked like, you’ll have an easy reminder. If you can’t remember whether the window treatments are yours or if they were here when you moved in – watch the video. You’ll get an accurate and detailed look at what was there and what wasn’t.
Sometimes, tenants will make alterations to the home. We understand the joy of wanting to personalize your space and make it feel like it reflects you and your lifestyle. If you painted any walls, make sure you re-paint them to their original shade. If you hung a different shower curtain or you added lights or drapes, make sure those come with you. Put the original window coverings back in place, make sure the paint is right, and review the move-in video closely so you know you’re not forgetting anything. If you installed shelving, take it down. If you hung twinkling holiday lights, take those with you, too.
We ask that you be sensible. If there’s a leak or a drip coming from a faucet, get it fixed so you don’t have to worry about your security deposit getting charged. When it comes to things like leaky or dripping faucets, you can also get a receipt for the repair and then send that receipt to the water company. In our experience, they will sometimes provide a credit towards your water bill.
Your Portland property manager can only withhold money from your security deposit for overdue rental or utility payments and damage that exceeds normal wear and tear. If you’re in any doubt or have any questions about what you need to do as you’re moving out, please be sure to contact us at PropM, Inc.
