Making your move as smooth as possible

Make your move between rented accommodation as smooth as possible with these tips.

To help combat this, the Association of Residential Letting Agents – known as ARLA – has drawn together some helpful tips to ease the process for when you do decide to move.

Susan Fitz-Gibbon, the president of ARLA, said: “Thinking about things like final bills ahead of moving day will ensure there are no loose ends for either tenant or landlord, and should reduce the potential for disputes further down the line when you enter your new property and a new tenant makes a home of your old.

“Remember that a well put together inventory, which is agreed by tenant and landlord, can also go a long way to easing the moving process. ”

ARLA’s tips include:

Stay in touch – Be sure to inform your bank, employer and friends that you’re about to change address to avoid missing any important post or dropping off Christmas card lists!

It is also worth leaving a forwarding address and telephone number with the landlord in case anything urgent is delivered to your previous home.

Settling up – before you leave a rental property, be sure to notify utility providers at least 48 hours prior to moving out. .

Clearing out – remember that a rented property should always be left clean and tidy when you leave.

If an inventory was taken when you moved in, be sure to check the state of individual rooms against this and move furniture back to its original position to reduce the chance of deposit disputes arising.

Come clean – breakages happen, and often reporting any accidental damage to the relevant party before you’ve moved out could reduce the expense to you in the long term.

If a landlord has to replace something at the last minute, the increased cost may be passed on to you in the form of a deposit deduction.

Use the professionals – if you have any queries during a tenancy, or when you’re considering moving to a new property, get the best possible advice from a letting agent affiliated to a professional organisation like ARLA.

All ARLA licensed agents must adhere to a strict code of conduct, as well as offering client money protection and redress schemes, which protect all parties if things go wrong.