TERMINATION OF TENANCY INFORMATION

Moving can be a stressful time and there are so many things to remember so the following is information to help you through the process of vacating the property that you are leasing and tips to remember. 

Giving Notice

Notices must be given 20-days prior to the next rent-due-date.  Forms are available in our office and on our website.

MONTH TO MONTH TENANCIES

• If you are on a month-to-month tenancy, the keys must be returned on or before the last day of the month.  Unless you have approval from our office to continue for a few days after the first of the month, you are responsible for the full month’s rent if keys are not returned prior to the 1st of the month.
• The Owner is not obligated to let you remain after the end of the rental period (the last day of the month) so we do have to get the permission of the Owner.  If you think you are going to need these extra days, it is important that you let us know as early in the month as possible to allow us time to contact the Owner.
• If you do have approval to remain in the property for a period of days after the end of the month, you must pay a prorated rent for those days on or before the first day of the month.  For example, if your rent is $1,000.00 a month, the daily rent amount is $30.00.  If you are going to stay for five days, then you would need to pay $150.00 prorated rent on the first. 
• If you do not have approval to remain on the property and the keys are not returned on the last day of the month, then the Landlord Tenant Act holds the tenant responsible for a full month’s rent so you would owe $1,000.00.
• In addition, it is possible that we have already rented the property and/or we may have contractors scheduled to perform work requirements so a delayed return of the keys could have serious financial consequences.  It will normally be cheaper for you to find a motel room for a day or two than the financial liability that could arise from a delayed return of the keys.

GIVING NOTICE WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN A LEASE CONTRACT PERIOD

• If you are a military tenant, then you must provide us with a copy of your orders.  In normal situations, military tenants are aware of transfers and can comply with giving the owner 60 days notice along with a copy of the orders.  If you know you are moving but have not received the orders, you can give us notice and then provide us with the orders when you receive them.  We will require a copy of the orders to be able to confirm to the Owner that you had the right to break the lease.  If you are deployed without advance notice then as soon as you know you are going to have to move, you must let us know in writing and also provide a copy of your orders.  Getting base housing is not considered a valid reason to violate a lease term.
• Tenants who are still renting under a lease term are responsible for the rent for the entire contract period.
• If you are in this situation but still plan to vacate the property, it is important that you make the proper arrangements and cooperate with our company to minimize the financial impact.
• Give written notice.
• Cooperate with the marketing and showings to prospective tenants
• Keep the property in clean and good showing condition to attract prospective tenants.  If we can get it re-rented to another tenant, then your financial obligation will end when they start paying rent.
• Leave the property clean and in good condition to reduce the amount of time the home would have to be vacant before a new tenant can occupy the property.
• Return the keys to our office as soon as you have vacated the prepared the property for the next tenant.  Some tenants in this situation do not return the keys since they are paying rent.  This is a mistaken attitude as it just prolongs the time we can rent the property to someone else and increases the amount of money that you will owe.  Vacant homes rent much easier than homes that are occupied, so once you have left the home and returned the keys, we have a better chance of renting the property to someone else – reducing your financial obligation. 
• Your lease contract outlines your responsibilities for vacating prior to the expiration date of the lease.

SHOWING THE PROPERTY TO PROSPECTIVE TENANTS:

When we receive your notice, we will begin marketing the property to find a new tenant.  We will call you to make arrangements for an appointment if we have a potential showing of the property before you vacate.  We ask that you be considerate and allow the property to be shown at reasonable times.  The Owner has a mortgage payment to make and needs to have the property rented as quickly as possible.  You may remember how anxious you were to find a home when you leased the property.  We appreciate your cooperation during this period.

FORWARDING ADDRESS:

Be sure to give us this information as soon as it is available.  If you are unsure of your new address, then provide us with an address when you can pick up your mail when you arrive at your next destination.  We need this information so that we can:

• Call the utilities out of your name and into the Owner’s name or the new tenant’s name.  They require a forwarding address before they will make the change.
• Refund of your deposit.
• Forward any mail that comes to the property.
• Arrangements to return personal property left at the home.
• You can e-mail your forwarding address to:  bookkeeping@nwp2.com and be sure that you include the address of the property you are renting and that you include a subject line:  for example, Forwarding address for Jones family vacating 123 Elm Street.  Then in the body put the following information:
• Tenant:  Mary and John Jones   Keys to be returned:  __/__/__
• Vacating rental property at 123 Elm Street on 12/31/06
• Forwarding Address:  132 Cypress Street, Lakewood, WA. 98498
• Contact phone number after we vacate:  cell:  253-123-4567
• It is a good idea to give us a cell number or a relative’s phone number when you vacate.  From time to time, we have the refund checks returned to us and we do not have any phone numbers to call to call you for a better address.  If we cannot contact you, we have to turn the funds over to the State of Washington.

REPAIR REQUIREMENTS:  Often, when someone is moving, they do not want to be bothered making arrangements for repair requirements.  You still need to let us know if there are repairs that need to be made to the home.  A small drip in the plumbing under the sink can turn into a large repair and dry rot.  If you know of areas that need to be repaired, it is important that you notify us.  If the repairs are necessary but not critical, we can delay them until after you vacate, if you prefer.  You can discuss them with the Property Management Coordinator.  You may also use our website, www.nwp2.com, to report repairs and you can put a comment in your message that you would prefer us to complete the repairs after you vacate.

CHANGING UTILITIES AND CHARITY PICKUP:

As we did when you moved into the property, we will be calling the utility companies and having them close out your account and transfer the service into the owner’s name.  We will contact utility service providers for gas, electricity, and water.  You should verify the move-out date  a day or two (business days) with our staff so that we can confirm the date with the utility providers.

You will need to make arrangements for your mail, phone, cable, newspaper, and refuse.

Garbage and Recycle Pickup:  The day you vacate may not coincide with the  
day that your garbage and recycling is picked up.  You need to arrange for a special pickup so that when we do the inspection, all cans are empty.  If we have
to make those arrangements, there is an extra charge to coordinate that service.

Cable, Newspaper and Phone:  You must make arrangements to return cable boxes, and discontinue service for your cable, newspapers and phone.

Mail:  Many people forget to contact the post office to leave a forwarding address.  If you are in a hurry, you can do it online at:  https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS

Charity Item Pickup:  If you have items for a charity to pick up, you need to make the arrangements prior to the date you return the key.  Often we go to a property and find chairs, couches, and misc. items and no one had come to pick them up or they do not want them and refuse pick up and the items remain at the property.  These are expensive items to take to the dump and then we have to hire someone to do it so there is an additional labor charge.  It can become quite expensive so it is important to take care of this before you vacate.  There are a number of drop off spots for donations.  There is a large Goodwill store and drop off center near our office on Mt. Tacoma Drive and they are open seven days a week.

LEAVING THE HOME:  Before you drive away from the home, you should do the following:

1. Walk through the home one more time.  Open every closet, drawer and cabinet to be sure that none of your possessions remain at the property, just as you would when you leave a hotel room.
2. Look for cleaning requirements in each room – as if you were going to move back into the home.  There is a minimum charge for a cleaning person to come to the home so even if it is just a few drawers that have not been cleaned, a greasy hood fan,  or food debris on the underside of the refrigerator shelves, there will be a cost incurred that you could take care of in minutes.
3. Check all windows and doors to be sure that they are locked.
4. Check the refrigerator to be sure that it is running and the thermostats are still on in the refrigerator and the freezer.  In addition, take a minute to check that  you have cleaned under the refrigerator as well as the vent cover at the bottom of the appliance.  If it happens to be left when it is turned off, mold will form and it creates a lengthy cleaning task.
5. Check each room, especially the bathrooms and the garage.  It is not uncommon for tenants to divide the cleaning work to be done and we find one bathroom spotless and the other one has not been cleaned at all.
6. Check for any cleaning residue.  It is most commonly found in the oven, the bathtubs, and sinks.
7. Close any blinds and windows and while you are doing that, look at the window sills and window tracks to be sure that you remembered to clean them.
8. If you still have garbage at the property and/or personal items that need to be removed (boats, automobiles, children’s play sets, etc.), then they need to be removed from the property before you return the keys to the office.  When you return the keys to the office, you are indicating that you are done and the property is ready to be turned back for re-rental.  We have surprised more than one tenant by going to the property shortly after the keys were returned only to find them still there working on the home and removing personal belongings from the home.  If the property is not ready to inspect, there is a re-inspection fee.
9. Are all the vinyl floors washed and free of debris?
10. Are all the carpeted floors vacuumed?  While they will be cleaned using the fee you paid at the time you leased the property, they must be vacuumed and if there are any large stains, you should have treated them and spot cleaned them before you leave.  If there are stains that do not come out or there are bleach or colored stains on the carpeting, you will be charged for damage.
11. All are the walls, cabinets, woodwork, light switches, and doors clean?  Almost every home we manage has washable paint.  Many times we see marks on doors and woodwork that appear to be scratches but are really marks that can be washed off.  Washing walls, cabinets, woodwork and doors is time consuming, so here again, it is much better if you do the work than if we have to hire someone to do it for you.
12. Are all the smoke detectors working and batteries replace (if necessary)?
13. So the home won’t look vacant, leave the outside porch light on and a light in one of the front rooms that have the blinds/drapes closed.

Most charges to a tenant’s deposit occur because of the above items.  They are the most commonly overlooked items.  It is to everyone’s benefit to have you vacate with no charges to your deposit.  You are happy to get the refund, all we have to do is get the carpets cleaned, and the new tenant can occupy the property!  We only receive income when a property is rented, so there is no advantage to our company to have the property vacant.  Consequently, we are hoping that we can complete the inspection with no work requirements.  It is up to you!

In addition, when you need a reference for a new landlord, they will be excited to accept you right away based on our excellent referral.  We keep our tenant records for years and years so our referral will be good for a long time to come.  If you decide to purchase a home, the lender will usually call us for information, so having a great reference is beneficial to you in the future.

RETURNING THE KEYS:  The keys need to be returned to our office.  The office is open Monday through Friday, except for holidays.  The office closes at 4 p.m. on Friday afternoons.  Do not bring garage door remotes to the office – leave them in a kitchen drawer.

It is always best to return the keys personally.  If you cannot do that, there is a drop box on the side of the office (side across from the florist shop).  You should place them in an envelope with your name and address of the property.  If you do not personally deliver them to the office during regular office hours, keys will consider being returned on the first business day that they are retrieved from the drop box.  IF THERE IS AN ALARM CODE, BE SURE THAT YOU INCLUDE THE ALARM CODE WITH THE KEY AND LET US KNOW IF THE ALARM IS ACTIVATED!

PREPARING THE PROPERTY: 

As you prepare to move, you will need to perform the necessary work and cleaning requirements to return it in the same condition as it is described on your condition report.  You were given a condition report at the time you signed your lease and we will be using that report to verify the current condition of the property.

YARD CARE AND YARD CARE SUPPLIES:  When we inspect the property after you vacate, we will look at the following areas:

• Is the yard mowed, lawn edged, and flower beds weeded?
• Are all personal items removed from the property?
• Are all the sprinkler, hoses, and times still at the property that are itemized on the condition report?
• Are the patios, decks, and walkways swept clean?

OWNER’S PROPERTY: 
Is everything listed on the condition report still at the property.  All booklets for appliances, garage door openers, and gas fireplace keys should be placed in a kitchen drawer so we can inventory them easily.

Items that were left in the garage or a storage unit, should be neatly stacked and easy to verify.

In the warm weather months, you may leave the sprinklers and hoses by the hose bibs for use.  In the cold weather months, they should be stored in the garage.

Garbage and recycle cans should be empty and stored by the side of the home.

Light fixtures must have all the light bulbs that the fixture will take (some take one and some may take three or more) and they must all be working.  If you have a perfect move out report but the light bulbs are not working, then we have to send someone out and it is expensive because it includes materials and labor which usually starts at $35.00 an hour.

HOME INSPECTION: The inspection of the home will take place after the keys are returned to the office.  We do not inspect the home when you are still in the home and we do not allow the tenants to be at the property while the inspection is taking place.  There are too many inspections to do so it is impossible to make an exact appointment.  In addition, it is too distracting to have someone there while the inspection is taking place.  An inspection takes from one hour to three hours, depending on the size and condition of the home.  The Inspector has your condition report and will go through the house room by room and inspect everything in each room, just as it was done when you occupied the property. 

She is inspecting to see that the property is clean and has been left in good condition.  At the same time, she is making notes of work that the owner may need to do to prepare the property for the next tenant.  This takes a long time and it cannot be done when someone is at the house distracting her inspection.  This is not negotiable.  Our experience has shown that inspections done while tenants are at the property are not as complete as those done when the home is vacant.  If you leave the property clean and in good condition, then you have no concerns.  We are only looking for those things that have been damaged, abused, are missing or cleaning requirements.  In addition to the report, she will be taking pictures of the property and, when possible, pictures of the cleaning requirements or abuse. 

We will send you the results of the inspection as soon as they are returned to our office and you are welcome to call in two business days after the keys have been returned. 

What is clean?  Clean is “hotel” clean!  If you have been in the military, then it is a “white glove” inspection.  When a new tenant moves in, there should be nothing left for them to clean.  We will include a check list for you to use at the end of this information document.  As you might be able to tell by this information, we don’t mean nearly clean, or mostly clean, we mean totally clean- every cobweb, every piece of dust, every hair in a drawer, debris on and below refrigerator shelves and under drawers, food debris on walls in the kitchen, dusty floor moldings, bathroom fans and cold air returns with dust and cobwebs, and black marks on doors and woodwork.  Just what you would expect if you owned this home or what you will expect in your next home.  No one wants to clean up after the last occupant. 

As you might remember, we did not charge you a “cleaning fee” when you moved into the property.  That is because we want you to have the opportunity to have a full deposit refund.  In addition, we do not know what cleaning requirements you might have.  It would not be fair to charge a $500.00 cleaning fee if there is only $75.00 worth of cleaning to be done or visa versa.  Not that many years ago, a $150.00 or $200.00 cleaning bill would have been a huge cleaning job, but the charges for services to do this any more have really escalated and a large cleaning bill can run into the hundreds of dollars. 

DEPOSIT REFUNDS:  Your deposit will be refunded 14 days after the documented receipt of your keys.  Payment will be made to the forwarding address that you provided to the staff. 

IF YOU OWE MONEY:  In the event the charges exceed the deposit, a statement will be sent to you and you have 10 days to make arrangements to pay the additional money owing.  After that notice, if arrangements have not been made, the account will be turned over for collection.

As a precautionary note, if you do happen to have money owing on your account, we will work with you.  If you need to make monthly payments, you can sign a promissory note and make regularly scheduled payments.  As long as you continue to make the payments, we will not turn the account over to collection. 

It is not our intent to create any future financial problems for you.  We just need to recover costs for the owner.  It is difficult to get future housing or loans for other reasons when there is money owing on a past residence.  Owning a home is the largest investment a person makes, so lenders are very cautious when someone has not taken care of their housing obligations.

On the other hand, if you do have money owing and you have made proper arrangements and have paid the money owing, that means a lot to a potential landlord or lender.

IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR REFUND:  If you have not received your refund or a notice of any kind, about 16 or 17 days after you returned the keys (depending on how far you have moved away), then you should contact our office.  All statements and/or checks are mailed out no later than 14 days after the recorded date of the return of the keys.  It is possible that there was something wrong with the forwarding address that we received.  Over the years, there have been a number of deposit refunds we have had to turn over to the State of Washington because checks were not cashed or have been returned to us because the address we had was not correct and we were unable to contact the tenant who should have received the check.  If it is difficult for you to call us because of a time difference, you can e-mail the bookkeeper at:  bookkeeping@nwp2.com.

So, that is it!  You gave notice, turned in the keys, left the property in great condition, and got your deposit back.  It is a good idea to keep a record of our company name, phone number, the address of the property, and the month and dates that you resided at the property so you can use it in the future for references.  It is hard to remember a few years later but you will often be required to provide that information.  It is much better if you give that information than to have an address that was not disclosed, show up on a credit report.  Landlords and lenders usually wonder if there was a problem at that address if it was not provided by the person providing the information.

CHECKLIST:

Hopefully we have included all the important things on this check list, but when in doubt, clean it, wash it, and fix it up.  Just try to step into the mindset of the next tenant and think if I was moving into this property, what would I expect?  Or if this was my mother’s house, what would she expect (hopefully you like your mother!).  As my grandma used to say, “better safe than sorry!”

 Move Out Check List

 Written notice given to Northwest Properties
 Forwarding address provided to Northwest Properties
 Military tenants on orders - give orders to Northwest Properties
 Pick up change of address forms from the post office
 Determine items to be given to charity and drop off or have picked up 10 days before moving
 Call cable company and arrange to return the cable box
 Call newspaper and phone to discontinue service
 Call refuse/recycling and make arrangements for a final pickup prior to the move-out date
 Arrange to pick up any school transcripts, as necessary
 Make moving arrangements with mover or rental truck
 Clean house and complete yard work requirements
 Put all booklets, garage door remotes, gas f.p. key in one drawer in the kitchen
 If there is an alarm system, write code and include with the keys to return
 If the alarm system is activated, tell Northwest Properties
 Take a final walk around the yard and through the home to be sure it is ready for inspection
 Check all closets, drawers, and cabinets to be sure all personal property is removed
 Make sure garbage and recycling cans are free of debris and placed by side of home
 Secure the home, check to be sure refrigerator is on, leave porch light and one front rm light on
 Put the keys and alarm code (if appropriate) in an envelope marked with name and address
 Include a phone number where you can be contacted in the event we need to call you
 Make a record of the address of the property, our company, and phone number
 Make a record of the dates of the lease - move in date and termination date for your records
 Return the keys to our office (in person if possible)

Cleaning

Bathrooms

Mirrors, windows, cabinets, drawers, moldings, floors and countertops and backsplash
Tubs and showers, and toilets and toilet seats (outside and inside)
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Bathroom fans clear of dust and debris
Doors and woodwork washed, light switches,
Shower doors clean, tracks clean, and free of mildew

Bedrooms

Floor moldings
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Marks cleaned off walls and any sticky residue removed
Doors clean and marks removed
Carpets vacuumed or floors clean
Windows, window tracks, blinds, curtains clean
Smoke detectors working
Sliding glass closet doors on tracks

Hallways

All moldings, doors, cabinets, and wall clean and free of marks or sticky residue
Cold air returns clean and free of dust and cobwebs
Smoke detectors working
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Carpets vacuumed or floors clean

Living Room, Dining Room, Family Room, Recreation rooms

All moldings, doors, cabinets, and walls clean and free of marks or sticky residue
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Carpets vacuumed or floors clean
Windows, window tracks, blinds, curtains clean
Fireplaces clean and free of ashes, tools clean, glass doors and screens clean
Sliding glass doors clean and tracks clean as well as window coverings

Stairways

Carpets vacuumed or floors clean
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Moldings, railings, and walls clean and free of marks or sticky residue

Utility room

Floors clean
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
All moldings, doors, cabinets, and walls clean and free of marks or sticky residue
Fan clean and free of dust and cobwebs
Sinks, countertop, and backsplash clean
Shelves clean and free of cobwebs

Basements and Garages

Floors and walls clean and free of cobwebs
Shelves clean and free of cobwebs
All moldings, doors, cabinets, and walls clean and free of marks or sticky residue
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Windows, window tracks, blinds, curtains clean

Kitchen

Floors and walls clean and free of cobwebs
Shelves clean and free of cobwebs
All moldings, doors, cabinets, drawers and walls clean and free of marks or sticky residue
Light globes clean (and free of bugs) and all light bulbs working
Windows, window tracks, blinds, curtains clean
Sinks, countertop, and backsplash clean
Sliding glass doors clean and tracks clean as well as window coverings
Counter and back splash clean
Walls washed and free of food debris
Sinks and faucets clean (including the back) and around the hoody rim
Cook top:  Pull up rings and clean underneath, clean rings and drip pans - replace if too bad
Oven:  clean inside and out including glass doors, knobs, and drawer
Refrigerator:  Clean underneath, clean bottom vent, pull out drawers and clean out underneath, clean refrigerator walls, clean shelves and racks, clean underneath the shelves as well as the top, clean all seals, clean the top and sides,  vacuum cobwebs and residue from the back and underneath area, and clean freezer the same
Dishwasher:  Clean exterior and interior, shelves, soap dish, and handles
Compactor:   Clean exterior and interior
Microwave:   Clean exterior and interior
Hood fan:  Totally clean - no grease - be sure to check the "lip"
Clean all "nooks and crannies"
Remove any food debris, grease, marks and marred areas
Wash light switches, knobs, and handles

When you are done, then go through every room and take a critical look at it.  There should
be not one thing that a cleaning lady or the next tenant would have to clean.

Look through every drawer and cabinet for dried up pasta, popcorn kernels, hair and makeup,
food debris, bugs, and all those things that you would not want to find if you were moving back into the home.