When moving to a new rental, there are a lot of things to consider. You have to coordinate when your old lease ends and new one starts, find new roommates if necessary, and figure out how to move all your belongings from one place to another. Not to mention, you probably have a whole new building, neighborhood, and landlord to get to know. You may have already heard some helpful packing tips for moving, but after everything is packed and ready to go, what can you do to make sure you are starting your new lease off on the right foot?
Below are the top three tips for renters moving into a new apartment.
#1: Create a Rental Move-in Checklist
A rental move-in checklist will ensure that you and your landlord are on the same page about the current state of the property and what the property should look like upon move-out. You and your landlord will walk through the unit together and evaluate the condition of each room based on certain pre-determined elements.
Some of the elements you should include on your checklist are:
- - What features your landlord will inspect after you move-out
- - Columns for recording the condition of that feature upon move-in and move-out
- - Additional fields for you to add any other relevant inspection requirements
- - Your forwarding address so your landlord can respond and ask follow-up questions
- - Signature lines for you and your roommates (if necessary)
Some Things to Keep in Mind
While you walk through the property with your landlord, use that time to ask them any questions you have. Ask how you should report maintenance issues, how to access any amenities in the building, and what your landlord is expecting from you as a tenant. Your landlord should tell you how to keep certain areas of the rental clean or whether they want you to do any recurring tasks to keep the apartment upkept.
This checklist should clarify anything that would otherwise come up during your stay. If you take the time to iron these issues out beforehand, your risk of dealing with a dispute down the line is minimized. When you work through the rental checklist together, both parties know about any potential problems, and you have a signed document proving that both you and your landlord agreed on what exactly you should do as a tenant to get your security deposit back.
#2: Define Normal Wear and Tear
Although the definition of normal wear and tear varies by state, it’s important to ask your landlord what they consider wear and tear vs. actual damage. Of course, your landlord must comply with the local laws regarding this issue, but it’s good to know whether they prefer you use command hooks rather than nails, for example.
When you take the time to figure out what your landlord wants the unit to look like after you move-out, it shows them that you’re a quality tenant who wants a great working relationship with them. An open line of friendly communication can only help you when you’re looking to be reimbursed for your security deposit, or just looking for an easy and stress-free stay in your new rental.
#3: Document All Issues
When preparing to move into a new rental, the first thing you should do is take pictures of how the unit looks the moment you got the keys. This step is crucial even before you and your landlord walk through and complete the checklist. When you go through and take pictures of all the damage you notice upon move-in, you’re ensuring that you don’t get charged for those damages down the line.
These pictures or videos can be used as evidence in court if you ever need to dispute anything your landlord may bring against you in an effort to evict you or keep your security deposit.
Final Thoughts
An open line of communication with your new landlord is key to having a successful and easygoing stay at your new place, so foster that new relationship by getting all potential issues ironed out prior to fully moving in. Make sure you keep track of all existing damages and document everything just in case there’s a dispute later down the line.
