Best Move-Out Inspection Checklist for Landlords

There are a few best practices to follow when you’re moving tenants out of a rental property. Today, we’re sharing those with you.

Providing guidelines and a moving out checklist 

A move-out inspection checklist for landlords is the most important tool you will have. When you’re moving out a tenant, give them clear guidelines on what you expect to have done and cleaned up before you perform an inspection. We have a great bullet point checklist that tenants can use to go through and capture every area of the house. Clear guidelines and a checklist are absolute must-haves.

Take a walk through the property with the tenants

Do a move-out inspection of the property in person with your tenants. We do this because it gives us the opportunity to ask questions and talk to them about possible damage or cleanliness. This helps us get a good idea about where they stand with damages and if they failed to clean areas. Then, there’s no surprise when that security deposit is returned or withheld. We also like to do a video of the move out inspection. Photos are great, but video helps us capture all the corners and angles, as well as the grime that might be left behind.

Professional carpet cleaning

We require professional cleaning of the carpet before a tenant moves out. In our experience, the rental machines that some people use will put a lot of water into the ground but then the moisture doesn’t come back out. We like to have professionally cleaned carpets so the next tenant has a clean home to move into.

Review the move-in report

We always like to review the move-in checklist prior to going over and doing the move-out inspection. This allows us to remind ourselves of the condition of the property and indicates which damages might be pre-existing. This helps us to identify any new damage and then manage repairs and cleaning when necessary.

Always check above fridges and behind appliances. Those areas are typically missed. Anything outside of eye level can be hard to see, so look at the ceiling fans and upper cabinets to make sure they are clean.

These are some simple tips for doing a move-out inspection with your tenants. If you have any questions about how a property management company conducts the move-out inspection, don’t hesitate to contact us at hello@homevault.com. 

Credits: Photo by 472301 on Pixabay.