The great 2013 move-out is in progress. I saw 2 out of 3 apartments last night and what I found was far from unexpected.
Last week I sent out an email detailing everything that needed to be done prior to the move-out. In the email was a section about scheduling a walk through, if the tenants wished to be present for it. It was not mandatory, just an offer that I would be available on the 30th, but not the 31st, due to my work schedule. Two out of three tenants scheduled a walk through for that evening.
Yesterday morning, I received a call from the tenant that I was supposed to see right after work; they were having trouble locating a carpet scrubbing machine and were hoping to push their walk through back a few hours. We arranged to meet after the other walk through scheduled for last night.
My first appointment was scheduled for 7:30pm. As I approached the house, it appeared that nothing had changed on the outside - trash and random furniture was strewn around the yard. I knocked on the door and was let into the kitchen, which may or may not have had a floor. I don't know simply because I couldn't see it for the crap that was everywhere I looked. The tenant was standing in the middle of the kitchen and I'm sure the look on my face said that something wasn't right. After a moment, she said she wasn't sure what I needed to see that night. This particular tenant is old enough to be my mother. SHE contacted ME to schedule an optional walk through for the return of HER security deposit. What would I like to see? The walls and floors would be a start. I told her I was unable to do anything that evening, given the amount of moving that still needed to be done.
I left there, having been no farther inside than the doormat, and went to the next apartment (the ones that were having trouble finding the carpet machine). From the moment the door opened, it smelled clean (the living room carpet was still wet). Everything had been moved out of the house. I was able to look through every closet and cabinet. There was a small amount of trash, in bags and boxes outside the back door, waiting to be picked up today. THIS is what an apartment should look like on a move-out. I could move another tenant in without any hesitation or hassle.
It's also only the second time I've ever seen that happen in seven years.
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