Moving Out – A Checklist

Are you  planning to terminate your lease and move out?  There are several things you should do to protect yourself and make your move as stress free as possible.

  1. Make sure you give the proper notice to your landlord.  Review your lease.  Can you terminate early?  Do you need to give a 30 day notice?  A 60 day notice?  If you are renting month-to-month, then you must give a 30 day notice.  Always give your notice in writing.
  2. If you mail the notice, tack on at least 3 days to account for mailing.  ORS 90.150(3).
  3. Clean your apartment and take pictures or video of everything.  Photograph the good as well as the bad.
  4. After the apartment is clean and you have moved everything out, perform a walk-through with your landlord.
  5. Make sure the landlord has your new address.

Once you move out, the landlord has to return your all of your deposit or give you an accounting of your deposit, in writing, within 31 days.

As with all things legal, there are time limits for taking action to enforce your rights.  For most matter related to a rental agreement and the Oregon Residential Landlord Tenant Act, the time limit is one year.  However, there may be shorter time limits involved in some cases.