Your lease is an agreement between you and your landlord about how long you will stay in your home. You will have the chance to renew it as time goes on, or to end it and move to a new home. If you want to move beyond your first, initial housing, there are some things you will want to consider.
When your lease ends, if you want to stay at your current place:
Contact your landlord and let them know you would like to renew your lease.
They will create a new lease that will probably be for one year.
The rent amount may be different than what you have been paying.
IRC purchased rental insurance for your first lease. You will need to purchase rental insurance for your new lease. The landlord will provide details of what is required.
Utility billing will not change.
If your lease ends soon and you would like to move to a new place:
If your lease ends in less than three months you will need to work quickly to find another apartment.
Landlords require 60 days of written notice before you move out. Before giving notice that you will leave your current home, make sure you have secured a new home.
Once you know where and when you will be moving, contact your current landlord and ask what is required to give notice to vacate.
See the steps for securing a new apartment below.
Steps for securing a new apartment or rental house:
Decide where you would like to live.
Find out what their requirements are for applicants (income, credit score, work history, rental history).
If you qualify, complete an application as soon as possible (may be online or in-person paper application).
You will need to pay an application fee (may be $20 to $50 depending on the property).
You will also need to provide pay stubs to prove your income.
The landlord may ask for additional information before they process your application. Be sure to include a good email and phone number so they can reach you.
If your application is approved, you may need to pay a holding fee to secure the apartment to reserve that apartment, so no one else will take it.
Once you have an approved application, and have been given a move-in date, give your current landlord written notice of when you will leave (give yourself a couple of days after your new move-in date so you have time to remove all of your belongings and clean the apartment). Be sure to ask them if they have any forms or other requirements along with this notice.
Before you can move in, the new apartment will require:
Purchase of rental insurance for all adults
Transfer Xcel energy service to the new address, and share the Xcel account number with the new apartment company or landlord.
For a single-family home you may need to set up other utility services too. The landlord will give a list of utilities that are needed (water, internet, gas, trash).
Pay move-in expenses to apartment company/landlord (security deposit, first-month rent, other fees). This may be $1000-$5000 depending on the property.
Plan for how you will move your belongings. Will you rent a truck? Will friends be helping you? Lease signing by all adults and people 18 years or older.
Before you are finished with your old home
Clean the apartment and remove all trash
If there is any damage or mess to the apartment that will be deducted from the security deposit IRC paid when you move in.
If the repair/cleaning cost is more than the security deposit, you will be sent a bill for the cost.
If the repair/cleaning cost is less than the security deposit, any difference will be refunded to you (usually 1-2 months after you move out).
Give your old apartment your new address, so that they will mail your security deposit to you, within 60 days.
Return any keys to the leasing office
Other things
Change your address at moversguide.usps.com
Change address to new address for US immigration- AR 11 form. IRC can help with this.
If your lease does not end for a while, but you want to move once it does:
This is a good time to be looking for your second home.
Many properties rent out their apartments several months before they are vacant.
Affordable housing properties typically have waitlists of several months. If you would like to move into an affordable housing unit, let them know when your lease ends and get on the waitlist.
