What Is the Procedure for Moving Out?

The move-out procedure for a landlord runs from the tenant's notice to the deposit refund: confirm the date in writing, offer a pre-move-out inspection, protect the unit and common areas on moving day, do a final walkthrough with dated photos, collect keys and rekey, and send the itemized deposit statement before your state's deadline. That deadline is 21 days in California, 14 days in New York, and 30 days in Texas, counted from when the tenant gives up possession.

The move-out timeline at a glance

What goes in the letter itself is covered in what to write in the move-out letter.

Before moving day: confirm the date and run the inspection

Get the tenant's notice in writing and reply with the exact end date and time. A written date tells both sides when rent stops and when you can schedule cleaning and the next tenant.

Then offer the pre-move-out inspection where the law requires it:

• California: you must notify the tenant in writing of their right to request and attend an inspection, but you may not hold one unless they ask. It cannot be earlier than two weeks before the tenancy ends. Give at least 48 hours' written notice of the inspection's date and time unless you and the tenant both sign a written waiver of that advance notice. Afterward, give the tenant an itemized list of the repairs or cleaning they can do to avoid deductions. If the unit was clear of belongings during the inspection, you generally cannot later deduct for something you did not list, unless it happened after the inspection.
• New York: the inspection must happen no earlier than two weeks and no later than one week before the tenancy ends, with 48 hours' written notice. Afterward, give the tenant an itemized statement of repairs or cleaning that could lead to deposit deductions and an opportunity to correct those conditions before the tenancy ends.

Even where no inspection is required, a walkthrough a week or two before move-out lets the tenant fix problems while they still have access.

Moving day: limiting damage, noise, and trash problems

Common moving-day damage includes dents from furniture in walls and door frames, scratched floors, carpet soaked by wet foot traffic, and gouged elevator walls. Steps that reduce it:

1. Require floor runners and door frame guards for any professional mover, and elevator pads in multi-unit buildings.
2. Set moving hours in writing and tell other tenants the date so they can plan around blocked hallways and parking.
3. Be on site or reachable by phone at the start of the move.

Overflowing trash is the other moving-day problem. Tell the tenant the bin capacity and pickup day, point them to the city's bulky-item pickup, or arrange a dumpster and agree in writing who pays for it. The EPA advises that leftover paint, motor oil, batteries, cleaners, and pesticides be taken to a household hazardous waste collection site, not put in the trash or poured down drains.

Damage beyond normal wear and tear is a deposit deduction or, if it exceeds the deposit, a claim against the tenant. See what to do when a tenant damages your property.

The final walkthrough and photos

Walk the unit as soon as the tenant returns the keys, with the move-in condition report in hand. Note each problem by room, item, and size, such as "bedroom 2, north wall, 3-inch hole."

California makes photos mandatory. Since April 1, 2025, you must photograph the unit within a reasonable time after the tenant returns possession and before any repairs or cleaning you plan to deduct, and again after the work is done. Those photos go to the tenant with the itemized statement, by mail, email, flash drive, or an online link. For tenancies that began on or after July 1, 2025, you must also have taken photos at move-in.

Under Portland City Code 30.01.087(D)(3), landlords in Portland, Oregon, must photograph visible damage beyond normal wear and tear and provide the photos with the written deposit accounting. Even where photos are not required, dated photos are your evidence if the tenant disputes a deduction in small claims court.

Keys and rekeying

Count every key, fob, garage remote, and mailbox key against your move-in record. Texas requires the landlord to rekey key, card, or combination locks at the landlord's expense no later than the seventh day after each tenant turnover. A Texas landlord may deduct the rekeying cost from the deposit only if the tenant left in breach of the lease and the lease has an underlined or bold clause allowing it.

If belongings remain after the keys come back, do not throw them out. Follow the steps in how to handle personal property abandoned by a tenant.

Sending the itemized deposit statement on time

Each state sets what the statement must contain and what happens if you are late:

• California: within 21 days, send the refund and an itemized statement with the photos. Include receipts or invoices for repairs and cleaning, or a good faith estimate if the work is not done; then send the final receipts within 14 days of finishing. Receipts are not required when total deductions are under $125, unless the tenant asks for them. Keeping a deposit in bad faith can cost up to twice the deposit in damages. Since January 1, 2026, if you received the deposit or rent electronically, generally return the remaining deposit electronically to an account the tenant designates in writing or by another electronic method they agree to in writing. You and the tenant may agree in writing to a different refund method. Unless you already have that agreement, give written notice of the electronic-refund right within a reasonable time after either party gives termination notice or before the lease ends. For multiple adult tenants, generally issue a check payable to all adults on the lease at termination unless you and all adult tenants sign a written agreement specifying who receives the refund, any split, the payment method, and statement delivery for each tenant.
• New York: within 14 days, send the itemized statement and any balance. Missing the deadline forfeits your right to keep any part of the deposit.
• Texas: within 30 days after surrender, send the balance and a written itemized list of deductions. You do not owe either until the tenant gives a written forwarding address. You may not keep any deposit for normal wear and tear.
• Florida: return the full deposit within 15 days if you claim nothing. To keep any of it, send written notice of the claim within 30 days by certified mail; the tenant then has 15 days after receiving it to object. If the tenant does not object, return the remaining balance within 30 days after the date of the claim notice. Missing the 30-day notice deadline forfeits your right to deduct from the deposit, but you may sue for damages after returning the deposit.

Deduction rules and common disputes are covered in what to watch when returning a security deposit.

For how the tenancy itself ends, including notice periods, see general ways to end a tenancy agreement.