Anybody who’s ever thought of moving out on their own has probably looked at an apartment. They’re an affordable form of housing that serve as many people’s first homes.

However, most of us can’t, or don’t want to, live in an apartment forever. The time is going to come for us to move on to something better.

Moving out of a place presents its own set of challenges and can be just as difficult as moving in.

To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of essentials when moving out of apartment buildings.

1. Give Notice

In most cases, you will need to give a certain amount of notice before moving out of apartment buildings. This period is often about 1 month, but you should check your lease to be sure.

Much of this depends on where you live, so look up state regulations as well.

A failure to notify your landlord in that time may lead to an extra payment. Since you have to pay the monthly rent ahead of time, you may find yourself paying for a month you won’t be there.

2. Clean the Apartment

This part cannot be stressed enough, because you can be charged for any damage done to an apartment. Plus, it makes your landlord happy, which can help when you’re looking for another home in the future.

In the same way that a potential employer may ask for a reference from a past employer, a new landlord may ask a previous landlord about you. If you followed the rules and honored the terms of the lease, you should have no problems.

The good news is that you don’t have to do it all on your own. You can hire a move out cleaning service to help clean the place up.

3. Record and Inspect Everything

You may have been given a chart when you moved in that documented the condition of the room on that day. Before you move out, it’s common to do another inspection to note any changes.

If the room is in the same or better shape as when you moved in, you’ll likely get your deposit back. Carrying out a home inspection will require a professional, and you should be there if you can.

4. Turn in Your Keys

Once your inspection has been done and all of your things have been cleaned out, there’s nothing left to do but give your keys back to the landlord.

There may be an arranged place to leave the keys, or you may have to hand them over directly.

Either way, take some time to yourself first. You’ll never see this apartment again, so you’ll want to remember your time here.

Moving Out of Apartment Buildings: All You Need to Know

Moving out of apartment buildings can be challenging, but knowing the steps can make it much easier. We’ve mentioned some of the more important steps, but we encourage you to do more research on your own if you’re interested.

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