Moving. This can be a very powerful word in more ways than one. If you’re moving out of your childhood home for the first time, it can be an emotional time for you and your roommates (aka your parents).
You’re more than excited to gain some independence, privacy, freedom to make your own rules, and be responsible for yourself and the place you live. Maybe you’re off to college, moving in with a friend, or a whole gang of you is renting a house just off campus.
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The world is your oyster, and you are in for the ride of your life.
For others, moving is just a stressful situation that can be filled with dread, and the actual process itself is exhausting; the packing, the necessity to switch utilities over to the new place, taking care of forwarding your mail, the cleaning, the drama that comes with what to take?
What to donate? What to bin?
Of course, the move itself is the hard part; a sad/mad/happy break up, new job, moving in with your partner, going to an exciting city to see what life has to offer there, this is all the exciting stuff (in most cases it's just what’s best for you) but leaving familiar people, places you love, your favorite park, can be emotional.
It could be where you started your family, adopted your first pet, bought your first couch; these things can be bittersweet.
No matter the situation, moving is a big deal. If you are a seasoned renter and move frequently, you might have a better handle on things, but just in case you are a newbie renter or you have been burned in the past, here are a few tips and tricks you can take with you on your way.
It’s a Journey
When you are starting a journey that is exciting and feels good in your soul, it can be easy to forget the practical things like safety and keeping documentation and photographic evidence in case you need it in the future, which might slip your mind.
It only takes the loss of one deposit because you left a towel in the airing cupboards and a clean ashtray on the windowsill, even though you left a brand new mattress and a new fridge behind as well.
It may seem silly to take a picture of a small chip in the table, a crack in a tile, or a lifted carpet at the top of the escalator, but being forewarned is forearmed.
Lots of landlords seem like they care – and sure, some do – but it's a harsh world when THAT doesn't happen, so be prepared, you’ll not be sorry:
- Collect all your documents (ID, proof of income, and references). Be sure to take copies of everything you give your rental management company or the landlord.
- READ your tenancy agreement and make queries before signing. Be sure you know and understand that when a list of contents says 'sofa', it means you are obliged to make sure there is a sofa in the property when you leave, and they are not expecting THAT particular sofa; these things will matter.
- Do your own inspection of the property and make lists of any repairs you observe that need attention (like a radiator that is off the wall and not working, is there intent for that to be fixed or not?) Take copious notes.
- Take photos of all the rooms (date-stamped), and videos are helpful as well. Take pictures of everything so you can have a closer look at things that might present a hazard or be questioned upon inspection from the landlord at a later date, or when you leave the property. (like when they ask what happened to the tile on the floor that is chipped, you will be able to show them it was like that when you moved in).
- The inventory should be attached to the lease with notes on specifics (like did they leave a precious vase in the dining room, ask it to be removed, or what the agreement would be if it is broken accidentally during your stay).
- Your agreement should have a phrase in there that says the landlord promises to keep the place in safe and good repair, and you promise to inform them of any potential hazards or if something needs fixing. This is especially important for elevators, escalators, or laundry areas that you do not have sole control of. If you do any work yourself, take photos, keep receipts, etc.
- If maintenance requests are made, do them in writing to protect yourself (a landlord claims they did or did not do something, document it!) When things pose safety risks, be extra vigilant.
The Deposit, Your Safety, and Protecting Yourself
It is important to document everything.
This cannot be stressed enough!
Even the most congenial landlord may overlook hazards like a loose stair rail, a warped floorboard, or poor lighting in a hallway, not realizing these can be serious safety risks.
Getting into the habit of creating a paper trail will be your best friend if anything goes wrong. This is all you have to fight against a potential legal case. You must protect yourself against a slumlord or an absent landlord.
There are (usually) protections offered to renters and a collection of tenant resources to help protect renters' rights, but if the landlord never did fix that carpet at the top of the escalator, and there’s no caution sign or warning. Slip and fall injuries that happen in escalators because of such mishaps and negligence could result in serious injury.
But it’s not just escalators. Any type of negligence is on the landlord to take care of, provided the tenant has informed the landlord of the existing issue.
The evidence you collected in the documents you kept, reports made, and pictures will be the foundation of your liability case – if it comes to one.
You’ll be happy you had it.
Conclusion
Moving. The good, the bad, and the ugly is to protect yourself and your landlord, too.
There are some very shady characters out there, and sometimes the greed that can exist takes over from common sense. So get it in writing; even things that are verbal can be confirmed in writing.
Take photos, be nosey, be persistent, and your lifetime as a renter will be much better cause you can rest easy knowing you took care and always did the right thing. If anyone questions your integrity, you have the stuff to back it up.
Prepare for the worst, expect the best.
