Moving out, step by step

1. Give written notice

Your lease states how much written notice is required before your move-out date, so check it before you pick a date. The notice-to-vacate form on this page counts as your written notice as of the day we receive it, and we will confirm the date by email. Every adult on the lease should be named on the notice.

2. Two weeks before

• Schedule your utilities to transfer out of your name on your move-out date, not before. Heat and power must stay on through the final walk-through.
• File a change of address with USPS and update your bank, your employer, and any subscriptions.
• Tell us if anything is broken or not working. Normal wear is expected; a damaged item that is reported ahead of time is easier and cheaper to sort out than one found at the walk-through.
• Arrange disposal of anything that will not fit in the trash and recycling carts. Ramsey County lists free drop-off sites for furniture, paint, and electronics.

3. Cleaning checklist

The goal is simple: leave the home the way you would want to find it. This is the list we use at the walk-through.

Kitchen

• Empty and wipe out the refrigerator and freezer; leave them on.
• Clean the oven, racks, stovetop, drip pans, and range hood.
• Run an empty dishwasher and wipe the door seal and filter.
• Wipe cabinet fronts, shelves, drawers, counters, and backsplash.
• Clean the sink and run the disposal with ice and citrus peel.

Bathrooms

• Scrub the tub, shower walls, toilet, sink, and faucets.
• Clear hair from drains and wipe the exhaust fan cover.
• Empty the medicine cabinet and vanity, and wipe mirrors.

Every room

• Remove all belongings, nails, hooks, and adhesive strips.
• Wipe walls, doors, trim, switch plates, and window sills.
• Vacuum floors and closets; mop hard floors; vacuum vents.
• Clean inside the windows and window tracks.
• Replace burned-out bulbs and leave working bulbs in place.

Basement, garage, and yard

• Sweep the basement and garage and remove all stored items.
• Change the furnace filter and note the date on the filter.
• Pick up pet waste, mow if it is the growing season, and put garden hoses and yard tools back where they were.
• Leave trash and recycling carts empty and at the house.

4. Keys and the final walk-through

• We will offer a walk-through with you on or before your move-out date. Walking through together is the fastest way to agree on the condition of the home.
• Leave every key, garage remote, and mailbox key on the kitchen counter, and lock the doors behind you.
• Set the thermostat to 60°F in heating season and turn off the air conditioning in summer.

5. Your deposit

Minnesota law gives a landlord 21 days after the tenancy ends and the home is returned to send the deposit, with interest, or a written statement of any amounts withheld. We need a forwarding address to do that, so include it on the notice form or send it before you leave. Deposits are never used as the last month's rent.