couple with moving boxes

What to Do Before Moving Out of Your Current Rental

Harmonic is a partner of Dwellsy.

It’s great that you’ve found a new place and are all set to leave your current rental! As excited as you might be, before you make the new place ‘home’, there are a few things that you need to handle before leaving the current place.

For many people, moving out is an absolute emotional rollercoaster, especially if it is their first time. It’s like a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and horror, given how there’s so much to do, including packing boxes, getting rid of unnecessary stuff, renting trucks, and whatnot.

However, if you prepare things from before and make a moving checklist, the moving journey will be super smooth, easy, and hassle-free.

We’ve created a detailed yet simple checklist for you of all that you need to handle before leaving your current rental.

Notify Your Landlord 

First things first, you obviously need to inform your landlord about your moving date. Most leases commonly require at least 30-60 days’ notice; however, it can also vary according to the requirements of different landlords.

In either case, it is best to notify your current landlord that you want to end your tenancy two months ahead in time.

At the same time, negotiate any terms, conditions, or issues related to your tenancy so that there aren’t any confusion or problems later at the time of moving.

Get Your Deposit Back 

Before renting the current place, you must have paid a certain amount of money a.k.a security deposit to your landlord in the start. Your landlord is supposed to return the deposit at the end of your lease, which you must get back from them before moving out and leaving your current rental place.

Hire A Service or Company To Help You With the Move 

Many people often underestimate the amount of luggage that has to be transported during a move, which tends to lead to last-minute breakdowns. You need to hire professional movers, companies, or services that will help you with the move.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that you should inform them or hire them at least a few weeks before the move in order to make sure that everything happens well in time and according to schedule to move your stuff to the new place.

Keep, Donate, Sell

We all have things in our homes that we don’t need anymore, can sell for money, or simply should donate to the needy. This can include clothes, books, accessories, kitchen items, shoes, and so many others.

Before moving out, it is best to go through all your belongings and make a list of items that you need to keep, followed by things that you can give to someone or sell for money.

This helps declutter and organize everything, making it easy for you to transport your stuff to your new rental.

Get Boxes, Containers, and Other Packing Supplies 

If you are a chronic procrastinator like many people, you will probably want to put off packing till the last minute. While that’s okay in some situations, it’s not going to be very enjoyable in the case of moving to a new place.

You need to start packing from a few weeks earlier, and it’s ideal to begin with items that you won’t need until you’ve moved to the new place. 

If you have a lot of formal clothes, for instance, you might want to order specialty packing supplies or special wardrobe boxes that keep your clothes safe and proper.

Take Care of Possible Repairs or Damages 

Remember the security deposit that we mentioned earlier?

For those who might not know, the deposit amount protects landlords from potential financial losses in case a tenant causes any damage to their property. If this happens to be true, your landlord can deduct your deposit, and you can even lose all of it. 

So, to prevent yourself from losing your security deposit, do a thorough inspection of your current rental place, and look for possible repairs and damages. In case there are any, make sure to get them repaired before you move to the new place.

Inform All Relevant People and Parties About Your New Address 

From your kids’ schools and water suppliers to your television provider and employer, you need to notify all relevant people and parties about your new address. This list includes all other subscriptions that use your address.

So, to prevent any kind of inconvenience or hassle to both you and them, it is best to update them about the new address from before.

Get the Current Rental Cleaned By a Professional Cleaning Service 

It’s best to leave your current rental in as good a condition as you received it initially. So, it’s a good idea to get the place cleaned by a professional cleaning service so that you don’t have to do it on your own.

On the Day of the Move…

Finally, the day of moving arises, and the first thing you need to do is calm your nerves and do everything slowly, with patience.

It is best to wake up early, and once you are done getting dressed, it is best to collect all your stuff near the door so that it’s easier for the movers to load the boxes and containers in their vehicles.

Do a final, last checkup of the house or apartment, lock all windows, make sure the air conditioners and heat systems are off, and the lights and fans are switched off, too.

Lock the place, return the keys to the landlord, and get ready to move to your new home!

Make The Big Move 

For those who’ve successfully managed to find a good place to rent, good for you! For those who are still looking, but to no avail, have you checked what’s available at Dwellsy? You probably won’t be disappointed and will be able to find a decent rental that’s up to your requirements!

Looking for more rental tips, check out our other blog posts here.

author avatar
Lena Stevens
Lena Stevens works as a Content Marketing Coordinator for Dwellsy and has been with the company since 2020. She graduated from Vassar College in 2021 with a double-major in Film and Media Studies. As a life-long renter, Lena knows firsthand how stressful and frustrating it can be to search for a rental home, especially when you’re under time restraints. Her primary goal is to spread the word about Dwellsy to renters everywhere that are looking for a reliable platform with active, relevant, and trustworthy rental listings. She hopes that one-day Dwellsy will be recognized as a platform that is truly “Built for renters.”

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