Moving out
Ending a tenancy takes three things: written notice by the deadline in your lease, the home returned clean and empty, and a forwarding address so the security deposit can be sent. Renewing instead avoids the 20% month-to-month rent increase.
Move-out, in short
- Notice to vacate must be in writing. A conversation is not notice
- A forwarding address in writing is required before a deposit can be sent
- Rent stays due on the 1st through the end of the lease term, including your last month
- 72% of residents renew instead of moving
How do I give notice that I am moving out?
In writing, through the resident portal, by the deadline in your lease. Written matters. A conversation with a staff member, a text message, or telling a technician on a repair visit is not notice, and none of those protect you if the date is later disputed.
What the notice has to say
- The property address, including the unit if there is one
- Every resident named on the lease
- The date you will be fully out and returning keys
- A forwarding address for the security deposit
Notice does not end the rent obligation. Rent stays due on the 1st through the end of the lease term, and late fees are still assessed after the 5th in your final month.
What do I need to do before I hand back the keys?
Ten things. Nine of them are ordinary, and the tenth, photographing every room after it is empty and clean, is the one that settles arguments.
- Give written notice by the deadline in your lease, through the portal so it is timestamped.
- Give a forwarding address in writing. The deposit cannot be sent without one.
- Keep paying rent on the 1st through the end of the term. Notice does not end the rent obligation early.
- Remove everything, including from the garage, basement, attic, shed and yard.
- Clean the home fully: appliances inside and out, bathrooms, floors, windows, baseboards, light fixtures and the inside of cabinets.
- Replace burned out light bulbs and the furnace filter.
- Fill and touch up holes only where your lease says to, and do not paint over anything without approval.
- Take dated photographs of every room after it is empty and clean. Keep them yourself.
- Return every key, fob, remote and mail key.
- Set utilities to end on your lease end date, not before, so the home is not dark for the walkthrough.
How and when does my security deposit come back?
After you are out, the home is inspected against the move-in condition report you completed when you arrived, any deductions are itemized in writing, and the balance is sent to the forwarding address you gave in your notice. Without a forwarding address in writing, nothing can be sent.
What actually gets deducted
| Cause | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cleaning | The most common deduction by a wide margin, and the most avoidable. A home returned at the standard it was delivered at does not generate one. |
| Unapproved alterations | Paint colors, mounted hardware, removed fixtures, and anything installed without written approval, plus the cost of returning it. |
| Damage beyond normal wear and tear | Holes, broken fixtures, pet damage, burns, and stains that cleaning does not remove. Faded paint and worn carpet from ordinary use are not this. |
| Items left behind | Furniture, appliances, trash and anything in the garage, basement or yard. Disposal is charged at cost. |
| Unpaid balances | Rent, late fees and any chargebacks still owed on the ledger at move-out. |
Normal wear and tear is not deductible. Worn carpet in a traffic path, faded paint, and minor scuffs from ordinary use are the owner cost. The line between wear and damage is the reason the move-in condition report matters so much, and it is why the moving in page pushes so hard on photographs.
Will the home be shown while I still live here?
Usually yes. The home goes back on the market during your notice period so it can lease close to the day you leave, which means prospective residents will be scheduled through it while you are still there. Ohio law requires reasonable notice before entry, and that applies to showings.
Would renewing be cheaper than moving?
Frequently, yes, and 72% of our residents renew. A move costs a deposit on the next home, movers, utility connection fees, and time off work, none of which shows up in a rent comparison. We reach out ahead of your end date with renewal terms.
Letting a lease lapse into month-to-month rather than renewing carries a 20% higher rent, because a home that can be vacated on short notice can be turned in any month of the year. If you are staying, renew rather than drifting.
If you are moving but staying in the metro, look at what else we have open. Your rental history with us is already verified.
Move-out questions
How much notice do I have to give before moving out?
Written notice, by the deadline stated in your lease, delivered through the resident portal so it is timestamped. A conversation with a staff member is not notice..
How do I give notice?
In writing, through the resident portal, naming the property address, every resident on the lease, and the date you will be out. Get confirmation that it was received and keep it. Verbal notice, a text message, or telling a technician does not count.
When do I get my security deposit back?
After move-out, once the home has been inspected and any deductions have been itemized in writing, sent to the forwarding address you provided..
What gets deducted from a security deposit?
Cleaning, unapproved alterations, damage beyond normal wear and tear, items left behind, and any unpaid balance on your ledger. Normal wear and tear is not deductible: worn carpet, faded paint and ordinary use are the owner cost, not yours. Deductions are itemized in writing.
What counts as normal wear and tear?
Deterioration that happens from living in a home normally over time: traffic patterns in carpet, small nail holes from hanging pictures where the lease allows it, faded paint, minor scuffs on walls. Holes, pet damage, burns, broken fixtures and stains that will not clean are not wear and tear.
Can I break my lease early?
Talk to us before you do anything, in writing. A lease is a fixed obligation, and leaving early does not end it by itself..
Will people be shown through the home while I still live there?
The home is usually marketed during the notice period, which means showings while you are still in it. Ohio law requires reasonable notice before entry..
Do I still pay rent for my last month?
Yes. Rent is due on the 1st for every month of the term, including your last, and a security deposit is not a rent payment. Withholding the last month treating the deposit as rent creates a balance owed, late fees, and a deduction from the deposit itself.
What if I want to stay instead?
Renew. We reach out ahead of your end date with terms, and 72% of residents renew. A tenancy that lapses into month-to-month rather than renewing carries a 20% higher rent, so renewing is almost always the cheaper option.
Last verified September 2026. Reviewed by Peter Lohmann, Principal Broker and CEO.
Give notice in writing, and take photos
Written notice through the portal, a forwarding address, and dated photos of an empty clean home. Those three things decide how the deposit conversation goes.