7 things to do before vacating your rental premise

Moving house can be a physically and emotionally taxing experience. To make things worse, horror stories of unscrupulous landlords who try to swindle tenants out of their rental security deposits are sadly not uncommon. To help you avoid getting unnecessarily charged for cleaning services or for damage you did not inflict, we’ve prepared a list of things for tenants to take note of before moving out of their rental premise.

#1: Make sure the rental premise is squeaky clean

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Cleaning is the main reason disputes arise and is therefore the most important step. Dusting away cobwebs, mopping the floor and cleaning the drapes is just the easy part. Other things to pay attention to include cleaning the windows, closets, doors, ceiling fixtures and even light switches. In the bathroom, make sure that everything is bleached and that there are no lingering strands of hair or grime between the tiles. In the kitchen, check that everything from the inside of the oven to the sinks and faucets are impeccably clean and shiny.

This level of meticulousness takes hard work and time, so if you’re looking to save money by not hiring a professional cleaning service, start early and undertake a deep clean of the house one room at a time.

#2: Fix it up

Things that break down due to normal wear and tear are the responsibility of your landlord. However, if you’re required to fix an item or service the air conditioners and other appliances, make sure you document it with before and after photos, and keep receipts.

Scratches on hardwood or parquet flooring are a common occurrence, and landlords often find fault with tenants over this. Sanding and applying a top coating, or simply using a wood marker to fill in the grooves can easily conceal minor damage. Different types of wood may require different fixes, so use the internet to your advantage and search for different ways of dealing with nicks on the floor.

#3: Patch up holes

After you’ve taken down any artwork or wall hangings, remove the nails and patch up all the holes. This may sound intimidating, but is actually a simple DIY job. All you need is some spackling paste to fill up the holes, and a putty knife to spread and blend the paste into the wall. Lastly, when the paste is dry, use some sandpaper to lightly sand each spot and smoothen out the wall.

#4: Repaint the walls of the rental premise

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This depends on your lease, and whether or not you are required to paint the walls before moving out. If a complete paint overhaul is not required, repaired holes and impossible-to-clean scuff marks should still be covered by a layer of paint, so that the walls look neat.

If you do unfortunately have to paint the entire house, labourers can be hired for reasonable rates if you source them in advance. If you’re on a budget, however, make a party of it and invite friends over to help!

#5: Leave the rental premise empty

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By empty, we mean completely bare – except for items belonging to the landlord. Landlords looking to make a quick buck can charge exorbitant disposal fees for the old box of broken gadgets that you left in a corner and forgot about. Therefore, make sure that you haven’t left anything behind.

Start clearing out the rooms one at a time, as early as a month before moving out. This will give you ample time to distribute or donate clothes or furniture that you no longer need.

#6: Document everything

A good precaution to take is to record the condition of your apartment just before handing it over. Take photographs and videos of everything, so that your landlord can’t accuse you of inflicting damage that you actually did not.

#7: Schedule a walk-through with your landlord

Allow the landlord to inspect the entire rental premise before handover. Do not be afraid to ask for a signed agreement from your landlord to confirm that everything is in order. If your landlord insists on you replacing items that are already a few years old and have deteriorated due to normal wear and tear – carpets and cabinets, for example – you are probably not responsible for replacing the original cost of it.

It is therefore important that you know your rights, so you can protest if you feel that you are being taken for a ride. If your landlord deducts money from your security deposit even if you have left the apartment immaculate, request for an itemised list of expenditure.

A rental security deposit is usually a significant amount of money and can be used for starting over in your new apartment. The little extra work is worth it to ensure that the deposit is not pinched by an unethical landlord, and is instead returned in full to you.

Check out other rental related articles here: 5 ways to score the rental apartment of your dreams at a cheaper price and Renting out your HDB flat: Yay or nay?

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