A Property Management Moving Check List

Your property manager will want you to know what she puts on your moving checklist.apartment for rent image by dead_account from Fotolia.com

Property managers are responsible for making a tenant's transition out of a home smooth. Property managers simplify this task via property management moving checklists, as indicated by Rentlaw.com and Thereibrain.com. These checklists detail the condition of the rental property upon moveout and show what needs attention before future occupancy. They also ensure that the property manager and tenant have tied up any legal or logistic loose ends.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms need to be free of any mold. Showers, tubs and sink basins should be clean and free of chips. Ventilation fans must be operational and should be quiet when in use. Piping should have no leaks, water flow should be free with no clogs, faucet fixtures should be secure and operational with good temperature control, and the toilet should not continue to run after flushing. Any cabinets in the bathroom should be wiped down inside and out. Floors should be mopped.

Stoves and ovens should be clean outside and inside, including drip and boiler pans. The fan above the stove/oven should be clear and free from grease. Refrigerators should be turned down to their lowest settings and wiped out, including the fruit and vegetable bins. Freezers should be defrosted. Garbage disposals should operate quietly, and dishwashers should wash and dry efficiently without any leaks. Tenants should wipe down all counters and sinks.

All windows in the living room and bedrooms should be uncracked and clean, with locking mechanisms operational if in place. Overhead fixtures should all have working bulbs. There should be nothing in the closets, all of which should open easily. If there is carpeting on the floor, it should be free from stains or tears. Blinds, if present, should open and close smoothly and be free from dirt, cracks or chips. Walls should be free from major damages (e.g., bulldog hook holes) or unauthorized paint. Some minor holes from standard nails for pictures are acceptable; these should remain unfilled so the property maintenance personnel can handle proper filling and repainting.

All switches in the property should be functional. All outlets should hold a plug tightly if the property manager or tenant inserts a plug into the outlet. No outlet or electrical plate should be warm to the touch, and no outlet or switch should be without a clean face plate.

The property manager should confirm with the tenant that the tenant has returned all keys to the property, including those for mailboxes and garages. The property manager also should make sure that the tenant has left a forwarding address. All termination of rental forms should be signed and the tenant should have transferred utilities according to the property guidelines.