How to Take the Fear Out of Renting Your Property in Orlando Part 14 “The Move Out Process”
As long as you followed our Blog: Part 4 ‘The Move In Process’ you should be prepared and have all of the proof of the condition the property was in when your ‘recently vacated’ tenant moved in.
The best way to prepare a tenant when you receive notice that they are going to vacate is to provide a thorough set of Move Out Instructions.
The goal here is to reduce any miscommunication or misunderstanding on the tenant’s part of what your expectations are. This should greatly reduce, if not eliminate, any confusion the tenant may have about how the property should be returned to you. The instructions should be easy to read and follow and clearly state, one by one, each step the tenant should take to help ensure they receive their security deposit back. Some items you may want to consider including are to require the tenant provide a copy of their professional carpet cleaning receipt; you might also want to explain how to obtain touch up paint, to include matching the sheen, in the event there is no touch up paint available at the rental property, etc. You can’t be too detailed.
You should also clearly state how and where the keys should be dropped off; as well as when. Your tenant should understand that you will complete the move out inspection (our advice) without their presence. Why? Most tenants’ goal is to get you to state during the final walk through/move out inspection, that they will be receiving their full security deposit back. It is also very hard to concentrate on an ‘inspection’ when someone is following behind, trying to point out for example, how ‘that stain was there when I moved in’. Bottom line; it is in your best interest to communicate to the tenant that you will conduct the move out inspection alone, at an unspecified time (so they don’t just ‘drop by’) and that you do not determine at the move out inspection whether the full deposit will be refunded or not, but rather, you will be documenting the inspection with either date stamped pictures and/or a videotaping and you will then go back to your home office and compare their move in pictures/video with the move out and come to the conclusion of the status of their return at that time.
Once you’ve gotten back to your home office, you’ll want to do just that. Pull out your move in documentation and compare it to the move out. You may want to invest in Inspection Software which will make this process easier since you will have a standard template for the move in and move out which make comparisons much easier to assess and defend.
Next step? Completing the Settlement/Disbursement Statement and assessing charges towards the deposit or refunding the full deposit. Check for our upcoming Blog Part 15: ‘Making a Claim on a Security Deposit or Not?’
And remember, you can always contact us for your Professional Property Management needs.
Click Here for Part 15 in this series – How to Take the Fear out of Renting your Property