With the final date of your lease quickly approaching, it can seem daunting to remember everything that must be completed in such a short amount of time. Below, we provide a complete end-of-lease checklist to guarantee you complete everything on your to-do list and ensure a successful move, while avoiding additional penalties or fees.
Step 1: Provide an Official Moving-Out Statement to your Landlord or Association
Typically in your lease statement, your landlord or association lists the specific time frame in which you must send a notice of moving out, like 30, 45, or 60 days. Type and print a formal letter providing notice of your move out date and deliver it to your landlord or association office in a timely manner. By doing so, you will avoid any fees associated with the lack of providing adequate advanced notice. If you wish to go the extra mile and ensure they know of your move out date, send an email confirmation with the same contents of your letter. That way, if they lost your letter and have no recollection of the notice, you have an email version available as backup!
Step 2: Confirm the Moving Day with Your New Apartment
To ensure that moving day is a seamless transition into your new living space, confirm with your new landlord or association of your anticipated moving day. This will prevent any gaps in the moving process that result in you looking for a hotel or spare room at a relative’s home while waiting for your new space to become available. In the event your new apartment or condo is not available for the day your current lease ends, you will need to utilize a storage facility to temporarily keep your belongings safe.
Step 3: Organize and Pack Your Belongings
Packing stresses out many tenants who think they own too many items that are difficult to move or require delicate handling. You might question how to pack everything safely and efficiently. Therefore, hiring a local moving service that packs and unpacks your items may be your best solution.
Packing with or without additional help, coordinating your items and furniture by room will help keep everything organized – especially when packing for a storage unit. This is a great opportunity to sort through everything you own and see where you can downsize.
When packing with boxes or bins, use a permanent marker or label to effectively distinguish where each container goes. Additionally, when labeling the room that the items came from, specify the contents inside. We prepared an example breakdown below of useful labels when packing per room:
Living Room
- Hanging Décor: Curtains and curtain rods, artwork, tapestries, shelves, and pictures
- Lighting & Electrical: Lamps, lightbulbs, batteries, remotes, and extension cords
- Miscellaneous Décor: Books, Couch pillows and throws, Knick knacks, Candles, faux plants, and decorative bowls
Kitchen & Dining Area
To save on packing paper and make the most of your packing, use your kitchen towels, cloth napkins, oven mitts, and potholders to cushion other items.
- Dishes: Bowls, plates, silverware, glasses, coffee mugs, Tupperware, and hosting serving sets
- Appliances: Toaster, tea kettle, coffee maker, hand mixer, stand mixer, and blender
- Cooking Utensils: Spatulas, stirring spoons, pots, pans, and miscellaneous kitchen gadgets
- Pantry: Shelf-stable food, canned food, and refrigerator/freezer foods (use an insulated cooler bag)
- Dining Room Décor: Placemats, seat cushions, napkin holders, candles, and miscellaneous decorations
Bathrooms
- Linens and Bathroom Necessities: Shower curtain, curtain rods/hooks, and floor mats
- Toiletries: Shampoo, conditioner, hand and body soap, hair products, makeup, and feminine products
Bedrooms
- Bedding: Comforter, pillows, sheets, blankets, and bed skirts
- Nightstand Contents: Anything stored inside your nightstands
- Hanging Décor: Curtains and curtain rods, artwork, tapestries, shelves, and pictures
- Lighting & Electrical: Lamps, lightbulbs, batteries, remotes, and extension cords
- Miscellaneous Décor: Books, Knick knacks, Candles, and faux plants
Closets
- Linens: Towels of any size, extra bedsheet sets, and bath robes
- Clothing: Tops, pants, undergarments, socks, shoes, winter gear, outerwear, and accessories
- Paperwork: Tax information, memory boxes, and important auto/home/health documents
- Cleaning Products: Bathroom cleaner, household cleaner, cleaning rags, bleach, detergents, and paper towels
- Seasonal Décor: Christmas decorations, holiday decorations, and wreaths
Outdoor
- Hanging Elements: Potted plants, lanterns, and mosquito nets
- Lighting & Electrical: String lighting, batteries, remotes, and extension cords
- Equipment: Sports equipment, gardening essentials, and grilling tools
Step 4: Clean Your Entire Apartment
Now that your items are packed and stored away in bins or boxes, you can focus on the fine print of your lease. Every lease includes a clause or section dedicated to move-out procedures and fees associated with any damage or cleaning tasks uncompleted. When it comes to cleaning your home, evaluate whether it is more efficient to grab a mop and bucket yourself, or if hiring a service for a final deep clean is easier.
Do It Yourself
If you opt to clean on your own, understand your responsibility to ensure everything is done in time for a final inspection. To make certain you complete everything in time, try deep-cleaning one room a day as you pack.
Cleaning tasks often forgotten may include:
- Clean all baseboards and trim around the apartment
- Spray and Wipe all windows and sliding doors inside and out, including the tracks (if possible and applicable)
- Sanitize and remove everything from inside all cabinets and drawers. This includes the kitchen, bathroom, and any closets
- Sweep the porch or deck
- Dust and sanitize all ceiling fans and vents
- Spot clean any scuff marks
- Wipe all light switches, outlets, door hardware, and surrounding areas
- Clean all appliances and fixtures that stay with the apartment: stovetop, oven, microwave, refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, shower, bathtub, toilet, sinks, countertops, and mirrors
To help you remember what to clean and record completed tasks, make a checklist either on your phone or with a notepad. This will help you visualize how much work remains.
Hire a Cleaning Service
If this step appears too daunting or strenuous for you, know that help is available! Did you know that cleaning services offer special packages geared towards people moving out of their apartment? By hiring a professional cleaning service, your list will either drastically decrease or disappear altogether! This helps ensure you complete the necessary requirements and avoid penalty fees associated with forgotten cleaning tasks.
Bonus Step: Hire a Moving Company
Choosing to receive help from a moving company will help make your moving transition much easier. Moving trucks have more space than cars and pickup trucks, so you can fit more things in one vehicle and take fewer trips between apartments. At Alliance Moving and Storage, we are dedicated to providing exceptional service in all that we do. With our trained movers prepared to help in any step of the moving process, we want to help make your move a seamless transition so that you can focus on the new adventure ahead. Contact us today to receive a free quote for our services.
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