Moving out is a fairly complex process which, alongside the next step of moving into your new home, can be stressful. Our useful guide provides hints are tips to help make the process as smooth as possible.
Giving notice
Check your Tenancy Agreement, you may need to give one or two months’ notice of your intention to vacate the property, but this notice must be in line with the terms of your tenancy. Please call your Property Manager if you are unsure of the correct dates.
End of tenancy form
Once we have received notice we will send a form to be completed by all tenants as shown on the Tenancy Agreement and returned to us. This form will ask for your forwarding address and bank details, along with information on the utility suppliers in the property. Please be aware that failure to return the completed form may delay the return of your deposit.
Cleaning
We would like your deposit return to be swift and would like to end your tenancy on a happy note. With this in mind, it is useful to know, cleaning is the most common reason for delays with deposit returns. Reading your original inventory can help ensure that you are returning the property to the same level of cleanliness. If you cannot find your copy of the inventory then please contact your landlord who can forward to you a copy.
Do not forget that you may have special clauses within your Tenancy Agreement that require further services i.e. fumigation, chimney sweeping, and carpet cleaning.
Should the property require professional cleaning and you wish to use a contractor known to Frost’s please find their details below. They will be able to provide you with a quote for the cleaning required. It remains the tenants responsibility to ensure that the cleaning is to an acceptable standard however this will minimise any potential cleaning issues during the deposit return.
Our recommended cleaning companies are listed below, all of the below will be happy to provide a quote for your End of Tenancy clean.
- Techne Solutions: 01707 881 678
- Abbey Cleaning Services: 07786 964 008
- Clean Complete: 07807 464 141
Along with cleaning the property, please also remember that you may be required to steam clean the carpets if they were cleaned for you at the start of your tenancy.
If you decide to carry out cleaning yourself and the property had previously been professionally cleaned the landlord would be within their right to request that the property be professionally cleaned at your expense from the deposit. This includes instances where tenants hire cleaning equipment to carry out the cleaning or carpets or upholstery themselves as this may not clean to the same standard as at the commencement of the tenancy.
Garden
If there is a garden with your property please ensure it is in seasonal, tidy condition as per the original inventory. Should you prefer to use a gardener to ensure that the garden is left in the correct manner, you may contact any of the following contractors known to Frost's:
- Dark Green: 07900 345 413
Changes to the property
During your tenancy, if your landlord has given permission for you to make any temporary alterations to the property you will need to ensure that they are returned as at the start of the tenancy.
Standing order cancellation
Moving is an expensive time for you so to ensure that you don’t have any unexpected outgoings, please cancel any planned rental payments with your bank once the last month’s rent has been paid. We are unable to cancel a standing order as this is an instruction between you and your bank. We will refund any accidental payments the first month and remind you to cancel your standing order, however, a charge may apply if the standing order still has not been cancelled in the following months.
Failed standing order set up/cancellation £24.00
Utility accounts
As at the start of your tenancy, only the account holder can close a utility or council tax account. For services such as gas, electricity and water (if metered), you will need to have your final meter readings to hand. The service provider will require your forwarding address so that they can send you a final bill.
Key return
The process at the end of the tenancy is for you to return all keys, alarm fobs, gate remotes and any parking permits that were signed over to you at the beginning of or during your Tenancy to Frosts or your landlord before 5.30pm on your vacating date. Please note that once you have surrendered the keys to the property you will have no legal right to re-enter the property.
Checkout
Upon receipt of your notice we will write to you and advise you of the checkout procedure. The checkout usually takes place the working day after the last day of your tenancy. Once we have received the check out report, usually 5 days after, this will be sent to both yourself and the Landlord.
Prior to the checkout it is your responsibility to ensure that the property is returned to the same condition as at the commencement of your Tenancy with particular reference to both cleanliness and condition. Mail redirection As the property may be empty between occupiers please arrange redirection of your mail. We are required to ‘return to sender’ any post delivered to the property after you vacate.
Deposit return- If your deposit is registered by Frost's only
Frosts are members of MyDeposits and during the deposit return process we act as an impartial party to ensure the process is fair. Deposits cannot be returned prior to the end of the Tenancy or agreement from both parties. We would like you to understand that during the process of deposit negotiation we relay relevant information between both you and your landlord for consideration.
Once the checkout report has been received, a copy is sent to you and the landlord. Your landlord is asked to look through the report and advise you of any potential claims they wish to make based on the content of the report.
If your landlord wishes to propose deductions, these will be sent to you and you will be asked to respond in writing. Any amount which is ‘undisputed’ will be returned to you. Any amounts being claimed, will be held while in negotiations. A deposit return will not be considered if any rent is outstanding at the end of your tenancy. All tenants will need to confirm their agreement to a deposit return.
We are regulated agents under the Tenancy Deposit Solutions trading as MyDeposits.
Further information for tenants can be found at www.mydeposits.co.uk/tenant/
If, at the end of your tenancy, the amount due for dilapidations and any arrears of rent is greater than the amount of the deposit held, this may be pursued along with the costs incurred in collecting this money.
Please Note: in the case of a dispute arising between landlord and tenant, we cannot release the disputed monies until the matter is resolved. Once the deposit return has been finalised it will be returned to the bank details as provided on your End of Tenancy form, which you will have completed and returned previously.
Winter vacation
If you are vacating the property in the winter season, please leave the heating on a low setting, we would recommend between 15c-17c.
