Moving out can be really stressful and it’s not that easy – you not only need to remember to pack up all your stuff, but also to leave the place as clean and spotless as it was when you moved in in order to get your deposit back. June/July is the time when many tenancy agreements are coming to an end – especially for students who are either coming back home for holidays or automatically switching accommodation. We decided to write a short “Moving Out Guide” for those of you who are going to be moving out soon, so that you could easily use this checklist and make sure that you won’t forget about anything!

1. CLEANING & CLEARING OUT. Seems obvious, but still many people fail that part of moving out of their accommodation and do not receive their full deposit back. In order to avoid, here is the full list of what you should do:

a) Bedroom:
– Remove all your belongings, posters and rubbish (remember that if you’ve got some unnecessary staff that maybe someone else could use – post it on the local swap shop or ask your friends!)
– Empty your wardrobe, drawers and all other storage units and wipe clean them
– Dust off and wipe all surfaces
– If possible, clean the windows from the inside (but be careful anyway!)
– Vacuum the carpet

b) Bathrooms
– Same as bedroom: remember to remove all your belongings and rubbish
– Clean the shower/bath, sink, toilet
– If you and your flatmates have been cleaning the bathroom systematically you shouldn’t have much work to do with the floor and tiles – but you should give them at least a little scrub
– Wipe clean all surfaces and clean the mirror

c) Kitchen
– Remove all the rubbish, unwanted items and also remember about the recycling!
– Remove ALL food items and defrost the fridge & freezer
– Clean all your cupboards,shelves, oven, cooker, microwave and other appliances that are in the kitchen
– Sweep and mop your floor

d) Other rooms, hallways, stairs…
– Vacuum all floors & stairs
– If you’ve been using any equipment which is not your property, like an ironing board or an iron (especially if you live in uni halls) remember to also clean it and return it
– Remember to return all the furniture to its original position if you’ve been changing/redecorating anything

2. OTHER TIPS:

If you need help with storage over summer, there are a few places in Aber where you might leave your belongings
You can also think about sending parcel to your parents’ house – check with local couriers and see which option would work the best for you
Remember to return your keys and lock all windows and doors before leaving the house for the final time
If any kind of damage has occurred while your tenancy report it as soon as possible to your landlord/agency/university accommodation service to avoid any misunderstanding and issues in receiving your full deposit

If you want to read more about inventories and see the official moving out guide on our website – click here! Our Pinterest is also full of easy cleaning hacks & tips so make sure you read them – they will save you looads of time!