Great question. The first step is to make sure you give the landlord the correct level of notice. You can find this information in your lease contract, and it varies depending on the state or territory where you live.

Also be sure to have a read of your incoming condition report, and review any images taken of the property showing how it presented at the beginning of the lease. If you cannot locate a copy of the condition report, you can request it from your Raine & Horne property manager.

As an outgoing tenant, you need to read the entry condition report carefully because this is the document the property manager will rely upon to determine if the property is in the same condition as when you moved in. Of course, fair wear and tear will be considered. The final condition of the property along with any outstanding rent or invoices will determine if your bond is returned in full.

Your property manager will visit the rental property to undertake a final condition report. It’s always advised that as the tenant, you try to be at the inspection. This enables you to complete the exit condition report together with the property manager. It’s at this meeting you can share and compare information about the state of the property when you moved in and its current condition.

Before you even get to the condition report stage, commissioning professionals to help ensure the property presents at its best will prove money well spent. For example, you might organise professional cleaners to give the property the once over. Professional cleaning might cost you a couple of hundred dollars, but it saves you much effort, especially as moving home is such a tiring and time-consuming activity. Let’s face it, once you’ve physically moved and unpacked your belongings, do you really want to go back and clean your former lodgings?

Likewise, if there’s any maintenance issues such as a broken toilet seat or a hole in a plasterboard wall that you’re responsible for, then coordinate repairs before moving. Your Raine & Horne property manager can advise you of a suitable tradesperson who can help.

An outgoing tenant should return the keys in full, including any extras you might have had cut. Once you have taken all these steps and the condition of the property is given the thumbs up by the property manager, you should get your bond back relatively quickly.

If you would like to find out more about what is involved in moving out of a rental property and your responsibilities as a tenant, contact your Raine & Horne Property Manager.