Moving-Out Checklist: What the Lease Requires vs What the Law Requires

60 to 90 days before: check the lease

If the lease is ending early, read our guide on breaking a lease for a job move for options.

• Find the notice requirement: how many days, in what form and to whom.
• Check whether the lease renews automatically if you do not give notice.
• Look for move-out cleaning requirements, fees or required professional services.
• Check whether there is a move-out inspection procedure.
• Note how and where keys, fobs and remotes must be returned.

Give notice properly

Give written notice in the form the lease requires, and keep proof of delivery. State the date you will move out. If the lease is silent, state law usually sets a minimum notice period for month-to-month tenancies, often 30 days. Notice given late can make you liable for extra rent.

Where lease requirements and the law often differ

When in doubt, clean thoroughly and document, rather than paying for services the law may not require.

• Professional carpet cleaning: some states limit clauses requiring professional cleaning regardless of condition, and some allow them only if the carpet was professionally cleaned at move-in.
• Repainting: required repainting after a normal tenancy is usually wear and tear, not chargeable to the tenant.
• Flat move-out or cleaning fees: may be treated as non-refundable deposits, which some states prohibit.
• Fixed deductions set in advance: may be unenforceable if not tied to actual cost.

Two to four weeks before: request an inspection

Ask for a pre-move-out inspection. Some states, such as California, give tenants the right to one, with an itemized list of proposed deductions so they can fix issues before leaving. Even where it is not required, a walk-through reduces surprises.

The final week: clean and repair

• Clean to the condition at move-in, allowing for normal wear and tear.
• Repair damage you caused, where you can do it properly.
• Remove all belongings and trash.
• Patch small holes only if the lease requires it and you can do it neatly.
• Replace burned-out bulbs and batteries in smoke alarms if the lease makes that your job.

Move-out day: document everything

Take dated photos and video of every room, including inside appliances, cupboards, floors and walls. Record meter readings. Return all keys and get a written receipt. Do a final walk-through with the landlord if possible, and note any disagreements in writing.

After you leave: forwarding address and deposit

Give your forwarding address in writing. In many states the deposit deadline or the landlord's obligation to send the itemized statement depends on having it. Put the state deadline in your calendar. If it passes without the deposit or an itemized statement, follow our guide on getting your security deposit back.

Utilities and services

Schedule utility shut-offs or transfers for the move-out date, and keep final bills. Cancel renter's insurance after you move out, not before. Update your address with your bank, employer and the post office.

A worked example

Jada's lease requires professional carpet cleaning and repainting at move-out. She checks her state's rules, cleans the carpet with a rented machine, leaves walls clean and photographs everything. The landlord deducts $400 for repainting and $250 for professional cleaning. Jada disputes both with her photos and the length of her tenancy, and the landlord refunds the $400 repainting charge and reduces cleaning to $75 for a stain she had missed.

Sample move-out notice

"This is my written notice under clause [number] of my lease for [address] that I will move out on [date]. I would like to schedule a pre-move-out inspection. My forwarding address is [address]. Please confirm receipt."

Common mistakes

• Giving notice late or in the wrong form.
• Leaving without photos and video.
• Paying for services the lease requires but the law may not allow to be charged.
• Forgetting to give a forwarding address.
• Not getting a receipt for returned keys.

Quick checklist

• Notice given in writing, on time, with proof?
• Pre-move-out inspection requested?
• Cleaning and repairs done?
• Photos and video taken on move-out day?
• Keys returned with a receipt?
• Forwarding address provided in writing?
• Deposit deadline in your calendar?

Key terms explained

These terms come up at move-out.

• Notice to vacate: written notice of your move-out date.
• Pre-move-out inspection: an inspection before you leave to identify potential deductions.
• Normal wear and tear: ordinary deterioration not chargeable to you.
• Forwarding address: where the landlord sends the deposit and statement.
• Itemized statement: the landlord's list of deductions.

Items people forget

Each is a common source of small deductions that add up.

• Inside the oven, fridge, freezer and dishwasher.
• Behind and under appliances, if they can be moved safely.
• Window tracks, blinds and light fixtures.
• Balconies, patios, storage units and parking spaces.
• Mailbox keys, garage remotes, pool fobs and building access cards.
• Personal items in shared laundry rooms or storage areas.

If the landlord will not do a walk-through

Do your own. Walk through the unit on move-out day recording a continuous video, narrating the date, room names and condition. Open appliances and cupboards on camera. Send the landlord a short email the same day confirming you have moved out, returned the keys and recorded the unit's condition, and attach a few representative photos. That email becomes a dated record if the deposit is disputed.

Ending the tenancy with roommates

If you are one of several tenants and only you are leaving, the lease may continue for the others, and the deposit may not be returned until the whole tenancy ends. Agree with your roommates how your share of the deposit will be repaid, and ask the landlord whether it will add a replacement tenant or release you. Put any agreement in writing. Our roommate and co-tenant guide explains joint liability.

When the lease ends mid-month

Check whether rent for the final month is prorated or due in full. Some leases require a full month's rent regardless of the move-out date, while notice rules for month-to-month tenancies may create a prorated final payment. Clarify this in your notice so there is no dispute about the last payment.

Keep your records for a year

Store your lease, notice, photos, key receipt, forwarding address notice and deposit correspondence for at least a year after moving out. Collection claims and disputes can appear months later.

Questions to ask the landlord

Ask what the landlord will check at the inspection, whether a cleaning standard or checklist is available and how the deposit will be returned.

If you cannot be there on move-out day

Arrange for someone you trust to attend, or record the video yourself before handing over keys. Tell the landlord in writing who will attend.

Final check

Walk through once more before leaving.

Check the lease before your move

Many move-out clauses go further than state law allows. Upload your lease to see the notice, cleaning and fee terms explained, and which may be unenforceable where you live.