Apartments add steps that houses do not: a lease with a notice period, a building with rules, and a deposit that depends on how you leave. This checklist covers the leaving, the carrying and the arriving.
Read the lease before you give notice
Find the notice period in your lease and send written notice on time, keeping a copy. Ask the management whether the building has a move-out checklist, cleaning standards or a required inspection date.
Nevada's NRS 118A.242 sets a deadline: the landlord must return any remaining deposit no later than 30 days after the tenancy ends. Provide a forwarding address in writing so the deposit reaches you.
Book the elevator and the loading space
Many apartment communities require a reservation for the elevator, the dock or a reserved parking spot, and some limit move hours or require proof of insurance from the movers. Ask at both buildings, and book a time for each. The apartments and condos page describes how an O'Brien's crew handles stairs, elevators and long carries.
Tell your estimator about the floor, the stairs, the distance from the truck to the door and any narrow hallway, so the estimate matches the work.
- Ask whether padding the elevator is required.
- Measure doorways, hallways and stairwells for large furniture.
- Reserve parking for the truck, and put cones or a sign out early.
Document the apartment
Before you return the keys, photograph or video every room, including inside appliances, closets and the floors. Note existing damage. Clean following the lease standards; the move-out cleaning checklist gives a room-by-room list.
Do a walk-through with the manager if the building offers one, and ask for a signed note of the condition.
Pack for tight spaces
Apartment moves often mean small boxes that fit an elevator and furniture that must be taken apart to clear a stairwell. Label boxes by room so the crew can place them quickly in the new unit. See the bed frame guide and the labeling guide.
Arrive and settle in
At the new apartment, photograph the unit on day one and send any existing damage to the manager in writing. Set up utilities and internet for the start date, and update your address using the change-of-address checklist. If you need a place for what does not fit, vault storage starts from $40 per month. Call 775-359-6683 for a free estimate.