Move-out Expectations and Roles

Move Out Expectations and Roles

Below are standard expectations and responsibilities for a move-out process. If any of these won’t work for a specific move out, let’s check in to see how we can make it work.

Person moving out

• Give 2 months notice - you are responsible for paying rent for these two months unless we’ve worked out an exception at house meeting

• At least 30 days before move out, send the landlord an email saying when you are moving out and CC the house on the email. Matt and Michelle have forms we have to sign for taking people off the lease

  • mattmcclenaghan@gmail.com and michellek.mccabe@gmail.com

• Leave the room clean (vacuum, mop if it’s the downstairs room, dust, clean the windows) and empty on move-out day

  • It is ok to leave furniture in the room if and only if this has been cleared with the move-out doula

• Do you want to leave behind any stuff that’s in common space? Coordinate with the rest of the housemates to see if those items are wanted or not.

• Are you taking anything with you that other housemates use regularly? Please share what those things are with the house as soon as possible so the other housemates can find replacements if needed.

• Check the whole house and yard for your belongings

  • Includes basement storage, kitchen items, furniture in common spaces, wall art/decorations, etc.

• Avoid leaving things behind if possible. If you need to leave up to 3 suitcase-sized things in the basement, mark them and pick them up within 2 weeks of move-out.

  • If belongings have been left in the house for over 2 months after move-out and there have been three attempts to coordinate with the person (ie. three separate texts, emails, or something similar) who moved out, the house can issue a deadline and get rid of stuff after that deadline.

• Participate in an exit interview - any time after notice is given, in whatever format is most comfortable. This is highly encouraged but not required.

  • Exit interviews are coordinated with the move out doula. The exit interview can be with the move out doula, with another housemate, with a small group of people, or with the whole house.

  • It is ok to do an exit interview before actually moving out. It’s sometimes much easier to figure out scheduling and how to meet up that way, especially if wanting to do the interview with the whole house.

• Pay any outstanding bills on the normal house bills schedule

Bills and Security Deposit

• The person moving out will be included in the monies spreadsheet for their last month in the house. This will include:

  • Security deposit

  • Any reimbursements from that month

  • Gas, electricity and water

  • Gas and electric equal pay balancing

  • Any rent reimbursement for mid month move out/in when applicable

• The balance will usually be the house owing money to the person moving out, because of the security deposit.

• The house will pay out the balance of the security deposit as soon as the person moving out has completed all of their responsibilities (cleaned the room, cleared out their stuff, completed a walk through, returned their keys), and the new housemate has paid their security deposit (assuming someone is moving in that month). We will know all those tasks are complete when the move out doula reports to the whole that they have checked the person out.

•  If the person moving out hasn’t left any belongings behind, we will pay the balance of the security deposit no later than one week after the move out date. If they’ve left stuff behind, the house may delay this payment until all belongings are removed or 30 days after move-out, whichever comes first.

• The house may choose to withhold some of the security deposit if there was damage done to the house or to communal or other people’s stuff.

  • If the person moving out and move-out doula identify damage, they should propose how much of the security deposit, if any, should be withheld to account for it. This should then be considered by the house.

  • If there is an ongoing discussion about the damage, the deposit may be paid back later.

Move-out doula

• Assist with finding belongings in common spaces and make a plan for those items

• Help the person moving out communicate with other housemates about common space items that they want to leave behind or take with them.

• Make sure the room is clean before new person moves in

• Collect keys on move-out day

• Be the point person for scheduling pickups of things left behind, if needed

  • Also includes collecting mail after the person moves out

• Schedule exit interview

• Do a walkthrough with the person moving out. The purpose of the walkthrough is to provide an opportunity for the person moving out to fess up to damages if necessary, to identify normal wear and tear that might need to be fixed, and to provide a deadline/accountability mechanism for moving stuff out and cleaning. If there is disagreement about damages, it’s between the person moving out and the whole house, not the move-out doula. Here’s a list of places to check together:

  • The room

    • Should be empty unless we’ve made an agreement about leaving furniture for the next person

    • Is it clean? (floors, windows, no art left on the walls, surfaces dusted, etc)

    • Do lights/fans/heaters all work? 

    • Do the windows open and close? Are there any holes in the screens?

    • If there’s a closet, do the doors work? Are the shelves intact?

  • The rest of the house

    • Personal basement storage area should be empty (unless we’ve agreed otherwise)

    • Look through the rest of the basement in case things have migrated

    • Kitchen: check the cabinets, shelves, and fridge

    • Living room: bookshelves, cabinets

    • Bathroom: cubbies/drawers/shelves