Moving into a new apartment or home, especially for the first time, can be a daunting experience. Luckily, it doesn’t need to be complicated if you do your research and plan ahead.
Here are 10 different things to bear in mind for move-in day:
- Video and photograph everything
When moving into a new place, the goal is to get a good enough feel for the place so that when you move out, the apartment or house looks exactly as you found it.
This doesn’t necessarily mean leaving the place in pristine condition (though that would be very thoughtful), but instead, taking notes of where things are dinged up or slightly damaged, so you don’t get blamed for it and lose your security deposit.
So, when you arrive to the spot – before even moving a single bag in – pull your phone out and video/photograph the entire place. Every nook and cranny, from the bathroom to the bedroom. Don’t miss a single spot. Document areas where things look off and save all the media you’ve collected. You’ll need it in case a dispute with the landlord arises later.
- Play with every switch and faucet
After doing an inspection of the property, recording and photographing along the way, the next step is to make sure all electronics and appliances work in the rental.
Start with the lights, flick on and off every switch. Take notes of missing or burnt-out lightbulbs and switches that don’t work. In some instances, it could be that a switch is connected to an outlet, rather than a light fixture. This leads naturally to the next step: test every outlet.
Okay, I know that sounds really, really tedious. But I promise, if you just use your phone and charger as a reference, it doesn’t take too long. A little bit of hassle goes a long way.
Lastly, test to make sure the faucets and appliances in the apartment or home work properly. Does the hot water heater work? Does the microwave work? These are important questions that should be answered up front. The last thing you need is to take your first shower in the new rental and get greeted by ice cold, freezing water.
- Inspect your vents, ducts and HVAC
This tip is especially for those with bad allergies. Though you obviously can’t climb up into the ducts above your rental, you should still make an effort to inspect the vents around the apartment and home, as well as the HVAC system.
Testing to make sure the fan blows at a decent rate and the thermostat works are one thing – probably suited more for the previous step. Instead, this step is to check to make sure the filter on your unit is clean and tidy. Otherwise, if it’s dirty, you could be breathing in allergens. You don’t want to end up like this guy:
Check with your landlord to see how often these are replaced, and what kind of filters are used.
- Report back to the landlord
Some rental companies have prescribed procedures for this step, while others might not. Regardless, thoroughly document and take note of any broken appliances or fixtures in the property, as well as anything – no matter how small it may seem – that appears to be broken.
Make sure this happens in a way that includes physical proof that you both presented this information and that your landlord received it; this can usually be as simple or as an email or text or can be more formal with a signed paper in person. Either way, all that matters is that you have a paper (or digital) trail.
If there are things the landlord needs to fix, get keyed in as when it will all take place. It can get kind of cramped if you’re unpacking while someone is fixing your garbage disposal at the same time, especially if you live in a smaller apartment.
Also, during this meeting, whether virtual or in person, make sure to get a handle on how the maintenance request process works should any future problems arise.
- Making sure you have the right tools for the job
When moving in and unpacking, hanging up pictures, hooks, lights and other fixtures are a natural part of the process.
That being said, make sure you have the right equipment for the job! First, check with your landlord to see what materials are permitted. Can you use screws and nails? What about Command Strips? These are important questions to have answers to before arriving at your rental.
Once you get the all-clear on hanging supplies from your landlord, make sure you’re still practicing your due diligence when putting up decorations and fixtures.
Sure, if your landlord says you can nail things into the wall – go for it. But if you’re worried about damaging the integrity of the space where you’re hanging, maybe it’s better to go with a less intensive method.
Overall, just be smart. Just because you can use a tool doesn’t mean you should. You’ll lose your security deposit even if you were following the rules and damaged property in the process by accident.
- Park close to your rental
An afterthought in the move-in process is parking. In most cases, the new tenant is laser-focused on getting packed up and prepared to move into new spot.
While that’s a fair point, you also don’t want to be lugging your boxes and bags up hills or down streets because you didn’t think about parking beforehand. Not having a parking strategy can be a burden on your back and maybe even your wallet if you’re ticketed for parking where you shouldn’t be.
The solution to this problem is quite simple: just ask your landlord where you should park. Oftentimes, they’ll either assign you a temporary spot for the day, whether it be on the rental’s premises or nearby. If they don’t have parking available, they should be able to give you some good pointers about where you can go, so you can avoid breaking the bank and your back.