Moving in and out of a rental home can be a taxing event for renters. If they have resided in a rental home for more than a few years, they may perhaps feel a notable sense of belonging to the property even after they have returned the keys. If they are having a hard time managing the move, a tenant may even try to take advantage of their prior occupancy by storing personal items on the Bethlehem rental property, coming back to pick up their mail, or even continuing to access the internet.
Although renters will sometimes think that they can return to the property to finish several little tasks or keep on using amenities they used to love, the reality is that immediately after the keys are returned to the property owner or property management company, the former tenant no longer has the rights to do so. In fact, if they do try to get back on the property or use any related amenities, they are trespassing and may be in violation of the law.
As a property owner, you must address these points with your tenants. They may not intimately understand that property owners and property management professionals alike need access to the property immediately after a renter vacates, to evaluate the state of the home and to prepare for the next tenant. They may not realize that handing over the keys means that they have given up right to possession and can even be giving up the right to personal property left at the home.
Helping your tenants to understand how to prepare and manage their move out process in advance can aid in having a successful process. As a landlord it is important that your renters are informed of necessary tasks that come with moving out, such as forwarding mail, moving all possessions out of the home, and cleaning the property before the final exchange of key. Offering instructions for moving out in the form of a checklist or a set of necessary tasks can help in making sure that the move out is done correctly and will make sure that nothing gets missed or left behind. It is also important to disclose that they will no longer have right of entry to the property and any of the amenities once provided.
These kinds of conversations are our specialty at Real Property Management Lehigh Valley. Our property management professionals can employ the move-out process from start to finish, tenants have the knowledge and resources they need to surrender the property when they hand over the key. For more information about how our Lehigh Valley property management services can benefit you, contact us online or call us at 484-544-3351.
We are pledged to the letter and spirit of U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the Nation. See Equal Housing Opportunity Statement for more information.
