The Tenant Checkout process

By following the simple steps below, we can ensure a smooth and efficient move-out process. If you have any further questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our team.

Admin

Start preparing in advance to give yourself plenty of time to get everything organised before your check-out day. By following the guide below and leaving the property in the same condition as you found it, you should encounter no issues. While it may feel like a task, taking care of the admin is a crucial step in ensuring you're no longer paying for a property you’ve moved out of and that your service providers are informed.

Before you move

Cancel your standing order with your bank to avoid overpayments, as we cannot do this for you. A £30.00 inc VAT fee applies for returning any overpaid rent. Ensure all keys, including window locks, fobs, and parking permits, are returned by the end of your tenancy. If returning outside office hours, post them in an envelope with your name (not the property address) through our office door. Failure to return keys may result in lock changes at your expense. Notify utility providers of final meter readings and your forwarding address, and check with your Block Management company if needed. Arrange mail redirection with the post office, as we do not offer this service. Lastly, update your address on the electoral register to remain eligible to vote.

Cleaning

You will need to ensure that the property, garage where applicable, and outside areas are left in the same good condition in which it was found, as detailed in the Inventory. This means the property will need to be thoroughly cleaned including carpets, windows, and all kitchen and bathroom fitments.

Some advice: When vacating the property, ensure that appliances such as ovens, fridges, and washing machines are cleaned to the same standard as when you moved in, with fridge/freezers defrosted, food removed, and the door left open to prevent mould. All household rubbish must be properly disposed of, and any items left behind will incur removal charges. If carpets are stained, professional steam cleaning is recommended, while curtains, nets, and blinds should be washed or dry cleaned and wiped clean. Additionally, return any moved furniture to its original position as per the inventory, and replace any non-working light bulbs.

Commonly missed items include kitchen and bathroom extractor fans, tops of kitchen units, washing machine drawers, grouting between tiles, removing rubbish, and dusting blinds. Essential cleaning products include Oven Pride, Dettol mould and mildew remover, wet wipes, and magic sponges. Typical deductions from the deposit are made for missing or damaged items, rubbish removal, redecorating, cleaning, carpet cleaning, missing light bulbs, and gardening.

Moving day

Please make sure you have vacated the property by your checkout time. If for any reason you need more time at the property and need to move out later, please let us know as soon as possible, so we can organise accordingly with the new tenant.

Deposit

Once we have completed the final check out inspection we will contact you and your landlord to inform all parties of our findings. If the property has been left in a good condition and there are no funds owed on your account, we will recommend to your landlord that the full deposit is released to you without delay. If you did not pay a traditional deposit, and instead opted into our No Deposit Scheme, we will recommend to the Landlord that you are not pursued for any costs, again this is subject to the property being left in a good condition and that there are no outstanding balances on your account.

In the event there are any discrepancies when comparing the condition of the property from the start of the tenancy to the end, we will make a calculation, taking into account fair wear and tear and the age and expected lifespan of the item(s) in question, and recommend to the landlord a reasonable deduction from the deposit. If you did not pay a traditional deposit and instead opted into our No Deposit Scheme we will follow the same procedure by way of calculating the associated costs which you will be pursued for.

*Please note that the deposit for this tenancy is protected under the Tenancy Deposit Protection scheme and therefore any deductions will need to be agreed on by both Tenant and Landlord before the deposit is released to either party. There is a limit of 10 days for these deductions to be agreed and we will therefore need to communicate with you swiftly and easily during this period as any perceived delays can be detrimental to claims. If you need to dispute a deduction and refer it to the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) we will submit evidence to justify any claim your landlord wishes to make.  

It is important you inform us of your forwarding address so we can deal with the return of your deposit as appropriate.