Duties of Landlords, Tenants and Property Managers during Move-out

The move-out process can be overwhelming to both landlords and tenants. If you own a rental property in Dallas-Fort Worth, you know that your tenant vacating your home will cause a temporary halt in your rental income. That’s stressful. The tenants moving out are hoping to get as much of their security deposit back as possible. They’ll likely need that money for their new home, wherever it happens to be. 

Working with a Dallas-Fort Worth property manager can help you and your tenants feel more at ease. It can also lead to a more efficient move-out process. 

Here’s how the responsibilities break down between landlords, tenants, and property managers when it’s time to move out and move on. 

Dallas-Fort Worth Landlord Responsibilities during Move Out

As a landlord working with a property management company, your main role will be budgeting. During the move-out process and subsequent turnover process, you’ll need to pay for some cleaning, maintenance, marketing, and leasing. The tenants leaving will be responsible and accountable for any damage that they leave behind – even if it was accidental or unintentional. Consult with your property manager about the security deposit and how much will be returned to your departing tenant. 

However, there will also be some wear and tear issues that you’ll have to pay for yourself. You cannot hold tenants accountable for those small nail holes in the wall or the scuff marks that furniture may leave on your paint. You should budget for painting, making minor repairs that are due to wear and tear, and preparing your property for a new tenant. This might include improvements and renovations. Prepare to think about what you’re willing to spend. 

Dallas-Fort Worth Tenant Responsibilities 

Tenants should have a list of all their move-out requirements. This will help them to:

• Clean the property to the point that it’s in the same condition it was when they took possession at the beginning of the lease term. 
• Remove all of their personal belongings or face a security deposit charge for the removal. 
• Provide a forwarding address so the security deposit can be returned. 
• Return all keys, remotes, and other property that belongs to the home.

The move-out requirements can often be found in the lease agreement, and a property manager should also provide that list to tenants when they receive the notice to vacate. 

Tenants are also expected to communicate transparently during the move-out process. We want to know when the tenant is planning to move out, and we want to be sure all expectations are being met.

Property Managers in Dallas-Fort Worth and Move-Out Planning 

During the move-out process, property managers can be relied upon to manage landlord and tenant communication. We will also provide instructions and requirements to tenants. We’ll take care of the move-out inspection, determine what work needs to be done before a new tenant moves in, and complete all of the security deposit accounting. We’ll return the security deposit (or part of it) to the tenant with an itemized statement of anything that was withheld with an explanation for why that money was kept.

The move-out process does not have to be difficult, and it will likely be easier to manage if you’re working with an outstanding Dallas-Fort Worth property management team. We’d be happy to help you with this. Please contact us at Assign Property Management.