We wish all our residents could stay forever … but we also understand that not every member of our community can stay with us as long as we’d like! If you’re moving out, we’re here to help you get your security deposit back when you leave us! If you don’t want to throw away your deposit, make sure you follow these five easy steps!

1. Let Your Unit Condition Checklist Be Your Guide

Forget Jiminy Cricket … your Unit Condition Checklist may be your best guide to getting your security deposit back! If you filled out your checklist at move in, review your copy for any notes and photos you took while moving in, and use them as a guide to returning your apartment to how it looked at move in. If you lost your copy, just stop by the office; we keep it on file and can get you one pronto! If you didn’t complete the checklist remember: it’s assumed your apartment was in perfect condition when you moved in … so get it back there before you move out!

2. Leaving? Let Us Know (On Time)!

Make sure you give your notice to vacate in time. As a reminder, we require a 60 day notice to vacate (so if your lease ends July 31^st, you’ll need to give written notice by May 31^st). And don’t forget to share your forwarding address with the office. We can’t send you your refund check if we don’t know where it’s going! (As a side note, you also want to remember to put in a forwarding address with the post office so your mail doesn’t get lost!)

3. If It’s Broke, Let Us Fix It!

Don’t leave any service requests until your move out day! We have an awesome onsite maintenance team that would love to help you fix anything that’s not working in your home. And we want to make sure we help you keep your home in its best condition. But we can only do that with your help. If your blinds have broken or an appliance isn’t working, make sure you tell us as soon as it happens. Delaying it may lead to more than just not enjoying your apartment at its peak while you’re here … it could also cost you cleaning or damage fees when you move out!

4. Hand ‘Em Over! (Your Keys, That Is)

Don’t forget to turn in your keys on or before the last day of your lease. Turning in your keys is the only way we know you’ve given us possession of the apartment back; it’s actually a legal act that we can’t overlook! Leaving your apartment keys in the apartment when you move in not only delays your move out process … it may actually cost you if we don’t know you’ve vacated the unit in time! If you don’t want or need to be present during the inspection of your apartment, you still want to make sure you turn the keys into the office team. If you have to turn your keys in after our office has closed, just make sure you put them in an envelope with your apartment number on it!

5. Cleaning is Key

This is probably the hardest part … because by the time you’re moving out, you’ve already done so much that you’re exhausted! Make sure you clean all surfaces, including sweeping and vacuuming your floors. Giving your apartment a thorough cleaning before moving out is also a great way to make sure you don’t leave anything behind! (We’re looking at you, oh dreaded back corner of the bottom cabinet drawer!) After everything is moved out and your apartment is clean, you’re ready for a final walk-through. Try and schedule this so you don’t wind up in a time crunch to finalize your move out and get wherever you need to go next! While you can’t always be there for your walk-through, it’s a great opportunity to make sure you don’t wind up with surprises on your final paperwork. It’s also your chance to get any final questions asked, make sure you’ve done everything you needed to in order to get your deposit back, and bid farewell to a team that’s sure to miss you when you’re gone!

Remember: It’s our goal for you to have a great experience during your time with us. The last thing we want is for your experience while moving out to be a dark stain on the joy you had while living here. Make sure you ask questions about your move out before it’s too late … we’re here to help! Together, we can make sure that from your first day to your move out day, your time at our community was a breeze you’ll look back on with fondness!

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