Miami University

Office of Off-Campus Affairs

Moving out

Find out if your landlord allows summer storage. Some places may charge for summer storage, so know and understand your landlord’s policy.
How are utilities handled over the summer?
Will anyone be living there over the summer?

Every tenant is expected to leave the premises in as good condition as when they moved in.
Complete a move-out checklist like you did when you moved-in. Copies are available in the Office of Off-Campus Affairs, 200 Bonham House.
Find, if possible, the copy of the move-in checklist you filled out at the beginning of the lease period. There should be a second column for move-out.
Be honest filling out the form. If repairs need to be made, indicate them clearly on the form.
The landlord will be checking the property to assess any damage.

Some landlords take care of this and others require tenants to do it.
FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT YOUR LANDLORD EXPECTS YOU TO DO.
There may be fees for turning a utility on or off so ask your landlord how they would like you to handle it.
Even if the landlord says they will take care of it, call the utility company and double check to make sure you aren’t still being billed for use after you leave.

When a tenant moves out at the end of the lease period, there are certain rules for both the tenant and the landlord to follow.
The tenant should leave the premises in as good a condition as when the tenant moved in, or make any repairs needed to restore the premises to that condition.
It is in your best interest to do a walk-through of the apartment with your landlord or at least discuss what he/she determines needs to be fixed. You can discuss with your landlord if you can arrange to have the repairs made or not.
If you filled out your move-in checklist thoroughly, it will protect you from being charged for damage that was already done to the property when you moved in.
Remember, the better you have treated the place all year long and the cleaner it is when you leave, the more likely you are to get some of the security deposit back.
The tenant should return the key to the landlord and provide a forwarding address in writing to the landlord for return of any security deposit.

After the tenant moves out, any of the tenant’s money that the landlord holds as a security deposit can be applied to repairing damages to the property.
The cost of those repairs will be deducted from the security deposit.
The landlord must provide you with an itemized bill describing what was done and the cost for each repair.
Landlords have 30 days after the lease agreement terminates and the tenant has turned over possession of the property and keys to return security deposits along with an itemized bill for the deducted repair costs.
If the landlord does not return the money owed within 30 days, a court can order him/her to pay the tenant twice the money owed plus attorney fees.