When a tenant gives their notice to move out, it might be a bit stressful since you know you’ll need to find someone to replace them as quickly as possible. If you’re a new landlord and this is your first tenant, you might feel flustered and not entirely sure what to do to prepare the unit for showings and for the next tenant.
A checklist can help you plan and prepare while easing some of the stress. It will help you organise and make sure nothing important was missed. Before you start, ensure your tenants have given you their notice in writing and remember you can always check your local landlord/tenant laws to see how much notice should be provided before they move out.
Keep in mind that this checklist is different than a tenant move-out checklist, which lets your old tenants know what is expected of them and how they should leave their unit. The following list is for you as a landlord in order to prepare your unit for your new tenant.
Here are the four steps you should take before a new tenant moves in.
Make any necessary repairs
As a landlord, you are obligated to keep your rental property properly maintained and make sure everything is in good working order. This is especially true for any existing health and safety issues, which could include mould, broken smoke detectors or carbon monoxide detectors, or damaged window locks.
You also need to make sure all the utilities are working properly. Check that the heat comes on in all the rooms, all the electrical outlets are working and the lights in each room turn on, and that there are no clogs or leaks with any of the plumbing. These are the basic necessities any tenant would require to maintain a good quality of life so they must be checked and repaired if needed.
Clean the property
Typically, a tenant move-out checklist would include requirements from the tenant to ensure the property is clean and in the same state as it was when they first arrived. It’s also important for you, the landlord, to deep clean the whole property in between tenants to fully and adequately prepare it for the next person. This includes scrubbing the most used areas like the bathroom, kitchen, and carpeting. Cleaning the carpeting can be a big job depending on the condition of it, so if you don’t have time for carpet cleaning, you can always hire someone to help. Professional cleaners will tackle even the smallest of spaces to ensure everything is spotless. You may also want to repaint the walls if they got scuffed up or if you needed to repair a hole.
Change the locks
It’s a good idea to change the locks on the doors before a new tenant moves in. It isn’t a requirement, but even if you’ve collected the keys from your old tenant, there still is a liability that might arise if they still have access to the property. Changing the locks is a safety precaution for the tenant and for yourself as a landlord.
Find the right letting agent
If you want to use a letting agent to help manage your property, find new tenants and take care of the paperwork, make sure you use an expert who follows all the best practices and works to industry standard. This will help give you peace of mind and alleviate the stress surrounding a tenancy switch over, from advertising your property to handling all the necessary paperwork.
