A Checklist for Everyone

Moving out of your current home is refreshing. This time allows for reorganization and discarding personal property, but during that excitement, there is a timeline and End Date to return the dwelling as given to you on the original move-in date.

Owners and Lessees use the following checklists and their own move-in date photographs as fundamental tools to narrow down each other's expectations.

Lessee's Helping Hands

As friends, family or professional movers assist you during this period, please be mindful they are unfamiliar with what actually belongs in the dwelling and owner's personal property. Light bulbs, closet components and window treatments are the oddest items missing from a dwelling.

Where to Start

Lessees and Owners must use this time to study their own move-in photographs, and develop a plan of actions accomplishing each other's goals before the End Date of the Lease Agreement.

Owners and Lessees should use the following Fair Housing Initiative checklists to fulfill each other's expectations.

Move-out Period

Your cleaning process, repair, restoration or replacement varies according to the configuration of the dwelling. Some items may not apply.

• __ Organize all unwanted items as trash, recycle and donations
• __ Light fixtures and ceiling fans
• __ Tops of all surfaces including the refrigerator
• __ Window sills inside* and outside, inside frame*
• __ Baseboards*
• __ Vacuum drapes
• __ Kitchen cabinets*, countertops and sink
• __ Refrigerator, stove, oven, dishwasher
• __ Bathroom(s) all components
• __ Washer and Dryer tops, outside and inside
• __ Closet shelving
• __ Carpets vacuum and remove stains
• __ Tile floors vacuum and mop
• __ Wood Floors* vacuum and mop
• __ Basement floors vacuum and mop
• __ Garage floor vacuum and mop
• __ Entrance Doors and Outside Storm Door(s)
• __ Accidental markings on walls
• __ Open Tickets of Owner's Concern of Condition requiring cleaning, repair, restoration or replacement**
• __ Owner's furnishings, upholstery and wood*
• __ Owner's furnishings returned to original placements

* Murphy's Oil Soap or similar use product

**Owner's Concern of Conditions statement on email

What is Not Wear by Use or Tear by Nature

The following situations are common examples of what is not wear by use or tear by nature thereby incurring charges:

• __ Dragging objects causing evidence of large areas of finish missing from the floor, scratches or gouges in the wood, missing or broken tile, stains, tear or movement of carpet, without limitation.
• __ Use of incorrect cleaning products and tools
• __ Spilling alcohol or other corrosive related liquids
• __ Unprofessional and uneven wall repairs
• __ Excessive amounts of markings or furniture rubs on the walls
• __ Automotive liquid spills or leaks on garage floor or driveway
• __ Pet waste
• __ Unclean appliances
• __ Unclean interior
• __ Missing dwelling components
• __ Broken items, interior and exterior not caused by wear and tear
• __ Other observations such as slow drains, unreported leaks causing damage, without limitation
• __ Abandoned personal property

Excludes wear of painted basement and garage floors due to the nature of moisture penetrations.

Important Lease Agreement sections to Study

• Damage Deposit: Personal Responsibility
• Damage Deposit: Return of Damage Deposit
• Possession: Surrender of the Premises
• Premises: Condition
• Premises: Inspection of the Premises
• Owner's Property
• Clarify Covenants, Additional Provisions or Other Conditions

Move-out End Date Time and Protocols

An email concerning Move-out End Date time (no later than three (3) hours of sunlight remaining) shall be set fourteen (14) days before Move-out End Date if Owner and Lessee provide communication requesting a different Lease Agreement End Date and time. Owner shall perform a walk-through inspection of the premises completing checklists and observation notes.

• __ Lessee and occupant dependents to surrender color key(s)
• __ Owner to change the name on required utilities to their name if ALL existing Tenants vacate the premises and return all color key(s)
• __ Garage door opener(s)
• __ Fire extinguisher(s)
• __ Lessee's Final Inspection
• __ Owner's Inspection
• __ Photographs
• __ If any Remaining and any New Lessees must agree to change their name on required utilities if necessary.

If any Remaining, and if any New, Lessees

Request made thirty (30) days before Lease Agreement End Date.

Request must include move-out occupant dependent's names, and if any, move-in occupant dependent's names.

Holdover Tenancy Request for a remaining lessee, and if any new lessee, must comply with our Fair Housing Initiative Underwriting Affordability protocol, which is the completion of new application(s) for each remaining lessee, and if any prospective lessee, must result to an approval.

If approval, a new Lease Agreement and terms will apply and made available for review before the signing date and time.

Owner's return of original damage deposit is dependent on Owner's Return of Damage Deposit Protocol so that the property continues to be maintained in good condition.

We recommend completion of a Letter of Understanding signed by vacating, remaining and new lessees concerning this subject to avoid any recall of memory issues. Use the following disclosure and move-out protocol What is Not Wear by Use or Tear by Nature as a guide to narrow down expectations:

Fair Housing Initiative Disclosure Concerning Wear and Tear

Owner's Return of Damage Deposit Protocol

• __ Review move-in and move-out photographs concerning unfulfilled expectations for a property maintenance of good condition.
• __ Any cost of cleaning, repair, restoration or replacement must be supported by a descriptive invoice or paid receipt**
• __ Evidence of paid material(s) and service(s) such as credit card receipt(s) dated within thirty (30) days from the End Date, cancelled check(s) or money order(s)
• __ Return of original damage deposit, or a letter stating the reasons for a lower damage deposit amount including the itemization of paid material(s) and service(s), and supportive documentation
• __ Envelope postmark including tracking information must be dated within thirty (30) days from the End Date regardless of damage deposit status

Cash payments are not acceptable for Judicial Burden Of Proof Proceedings.

Credit card receipts must support applicable materials used for cleaning, repair, restoration or replacement concerning an unfulfilled expectation. An invoice is necessary if the owner uses a service.