Blog Post

Tenant Move Out Checklist

Dustin Edwards • February 21, 2020

What should I do when my tenant moves out of my rental?

Tenant Move Out Checklist
When individuals are managing their own properties one of the most challenging periods is the stage of property management when a tenant moves out. Thoughts are swirling such as:
  • What condition is the property going to be in?
  • How much will I need to invest to get it rental ready?
  • How long will my property be vacant?
  • How many payments will I need to make while the property is vacant?
  • How much of this is regular wear and tear and how much of it is damage the previous tenant should be responsible for?
While these are all natural thoughts and really practical questions we encourage people to take an approach like we do at Beach Cities Property Management. A tenant moving out gives the opportunity to ask questions about your rental such as:
  • Are there any upgrades that could be completed now tackle that could increase rent?
  • Is now the time to do another rental analysis to see if I could get an even higher rent?
  • Should I even consider selling the property? Maybe a 1031 exchange into a residential multi-family(i.e. 2-4 units)?
Taking a moment to ask yourself a few questions about your property and how it is performing as an asset can help make the impeding vacancy be looked at as more of an opportunity vs. a liability.

Of course asking questions about the property is only part of what is needed when a tenant moves out. One of the most practical items we tackle are the essential activities related to the move out process.  Consider a few of the items that we have on our move-out checklist below (our full list is much longer :)):

Sample Move Out Checklist
While these are only a few of the items we tackle for every property we invite you to consider the following essential activities when a tenant moves out. 
  • Document Condition - Memories fade, but thankfully digital pictures don’t. Documenting the condition of your property means going room by room taking photos and detailed notes on how the property differs from the move-in process. Take time to note the small details with the understanding of what is a likely repair and what could be more of a cleaning issue (i.e. carpet cleaning vs. full carpet replacement).
  • Outline List of Essential Repairs - There are certain repairs that just can’t wait. For example if the faucet is leaking then it absolutely needs to be dealt with. Or if your heating unit isn’t cutting it then put that at the top of the list. For your essential repairs be prepared to get a handyman or even multiple vendor quotes for the more expensive items. The sooner you get the property in rentable condition the sooner you can find a new happy renter.
  • Get it ready to List for Rent - Once the property is looking fresh again then it is time to market it for rent. Marketing a property for rent is one item that continues to change drastically each year. No longer can one advertise in a single location. Your property should be featured in key online locations to ensure you attract the best possible renters. Consider our top 5 tips to preparing your Long Beach home for rent to help you on your path to attracting great renters. 
When you would like to learn more about our comprehensive Move-Out and Move-In Process we invite you to reach out to us today to see how we could help. Even before you can find out today how much your property could rent for filling out our Free Rental Analysis.

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Having clear communication with your tenant is essential for maintaining a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. By being transparent in all relevant interactions, landlords can prevent misunderstandings while resolving repairs and disputes efficiently while improving tenant satisfaction. Having good communication with your tenant is beneficial for landlords too. Effective communication also protects your investment property. Remember that while your tenant is living in the property, landlords need to take care of the repairs. Below are the three best things to do during tenant communications. Prompt Responses Addressing tenant concerns quickly is essential for building trust and maintaining a positive relationship. Tenants feel valued when landlords respond quickly, knowing that their needs are being prioritized. Building this trust not only enhances your tenant’s satisfaction it lowers the possibility of conflicts or misunderstandings to arise. This ultimately creates a healthy and successful rental experience for you and your tenant. Some of the most common inquiries will oftentimes include repair requests, among others. As an example; if your tenant reports a leak under their faucet and the repair is delayed, this can be damaging to your landlord-tenant relationship, as well as your property. If left ignored, that leak can result in hundreds of dollars in water damage and a vacancy . Which can further affect our bottom line negatively. For landlords with multiple properties, this can become difficult to keep track of. A property manager can help with scheduling repairs and communicating with your tenant on your behalf. Document Everything Keeping a detailed record of all interactions with your tenant is an important element when managing a property. There are many choices for documentation including email, text, or written notices. Although many property management companies and landlords have opted to use apps or dedicated tenant portals to log communications. A great example, for instance, a tenant may claim they’d reported a repair issue that was never addressed, if everything is to be documented, both you and the tenant would have a copy of the request. Maintaining transparency with tenants. Having thorough documentation ensures agreements and requests between all parties are clearly tracked. Documenting communications with your tenant provides landlords with a foundation for addressing misunderstandings, or disputes if and when they arise. Provide Regular Updates Regular updates show tenants that their landlord is organized and has an attentive approach to managing their property. Giving tenants ample time for maintenance, inspections or policy changes is a simple way to build trust with your tenants while showing your professionalism. Giving tenants advanced notices reassures them that you’re aware of how changes can affect them and you understand that time might be needed in order to adjust. Surprises are best kept for birthday parties. Proactively notifying tenants of changes helps clear the communication channels and minimizes disruptions which helps tenants feel valued and satisfied. These small yet consistent efforts can contribute to a positive tenant stay, which can encourage lease renewals and long-term tenancy. Additionally, having a good relationship with your tenants can give you a great reputation which can provide you with leads when looking to fill a vacancy . It cannot be understated the importance of communication for a healthy landlord-tenant relationship. Even if your tenant may not agree with some of the decisions a landlord needs to make, by giving your tenants ample time to process the change tenants generally are more accepting of said change. If you’re having trouble communicating with your tenants or if you need help managing Beach City rental property, we invite you to call us today at (562) 888-0247 or complete our Owner Application online .
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