What Is a Tenant Responsible for When They Move Out?

When a tenant moves out of your property, you want to ensure that your property is still in proper shape when they leave. As such, a tenant has certain responsibilities they have to take care of before they leave the premises.

young couple hugging in apartment full of boxes

While all these responsibilities should be detailed in the lease, here is what a tenant should be responsible for when they move out:

Cleaning

A rental property should be properly cleaned by the tenant before they leave. This will save you time and money on cleaning the apartment yourself. Plus, ensuring that a tenant cleans the apartment before they leave will help prevent you from returning to any nasty surprises. If a tenant does not clean their rental, then you can deduct cleaning costs from their security deposit so long as it is laid out in the lease.

Repairs

Not all repairs are a tenant’s responsibility. For instance, if the heat goes out or an appliance stops working, that’s your responsibility to fix not theirs. However, smaller repairs such as filling nail holes in the wall are a tenant’s responsibility.

A timely notice

A tenant should always give you proper notice when they plan to move out. 30 days is the typical amount required by law. However, if you want more than 30-days’ notice, you will have to spell that out in the lease. You should also provide the proper steps on how a tenant should give you notice.

Removing personal items

Finally, a tenant should remove all their items from the property once they have moved out. They should not leave behind any furniture or other personal items.

Of course, all of this should be detailed in the lease, which is why it’s important to have a real estate attorney by your side to help you draft it. To learn more, contact Aaron Cox Law today at 734.287.3664.

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