Housing Justice

Moving Out

The first thing you should do when planning to move out is to make sure to give your landlord one month’s notice. You are entitled to request a move-out inspection with your property manager or landlord. By doing this you ensure that you get as much of your security deposit back as possible!

Start by making a written request or call for an appointment with your property manager to have a walkthrough move out inspection. This is called an initial inspection. Remember there may be many tenants moving out during that month so you should schedule your appointment at least a few weeks ahead!

You and your landlord should agree on a date and time that works for both of you to do the inspection. Make sure you keep your appointment! This appointment should be about two weeks before the end of the lease term.

During the inspection you and your landlord should use the original inventory checklist they gave you when you moved in (see Inspecting Before You Rent). This will allow you to compare the condition of the apartment now to the condition it was in when you moved in. You should also include the checklists that were made if any inspections were done between the time of your appointment and when you moved in.

Make sure you have photo/video evidence of the condition of the apartment before and after  you move in. These are known as pre-inspection and post-inspection photos. Try to capture as much detail as possible about the condition of the apartment as you are leaving it. Take pictures of each room; the walls, windows, and doors. Make sure to take pictures of the carpet and exterior of the property as well as these are often areas that people forget!