How to Coordinate Multiple Student Move-Outs in the Same Weekend

If you are a landlord or property manager who rents to college students, you likely have tenants moving out on or around the same date. If you are not prepared, things can get lost in the process, and you may miss critical steps that need to be completed. It may seem overwhelming to have all of your tenants moving out at the same time, but knowing what to do in order to stay organized can help you remain in control.

Be prepared

One of the most basic things you need to do is be prepared. You may already have a list of everyone who is moving out over the course of a weekend. If not, make one, as this will allow you to have an idea of who you need to focus on. Have cleaning supplies on hand to get a head start. Being prepared and organized will help you know what is going on without becoming overwhelmed by everything going on. Create a checklist for your tenants that outlines expected cleaning and how to return the keys. Make sure tenants receive the checklist two to three weeks before the scheduled move-out date so they can start preparing ahead of time.

Start early

You may have seen the signs that your student does not want to renew their lease. They may be looking to shorten their lease, and other landlords are asking for a reference check from you. These signs may begin months before the intended move-out date. Keep track of anyone you suspect may be moving out and make note of when their lease ends. When they confirm that they are moving out, note that as well. Organize as much as you can in advance to avoid being overwhelmed once the move-out weekend arrives.

Create a schedule

Talk with your tenants and see what time they plan to move out. You may want to create a schedule so that your tenants can move out at different times. This will help you be able to focus on one tenant or rental space at a time. You need time to talk to your tenants and inspect the property before they move out, so staggering the times they move out will allow you to have time to do this. This also allows cleaning services to have time to do their thing and any upgrades to have time with each space.

Tenant cleaning and repairs

As a part of your move-out checklist that you created for your tenants, you may choose to include cleaning expectations for your tenants. Highlight things they can do to help your cleaning services do their jobs more efficiently. This will help save time for your cleaning services, who will also be feeling the busyness of everyone moving out on the same day.

Have your tenants make a list of things that need to be repaired. Make arrangements with necessary parties to get these items fixed. Being organized and knowing what needs to be done will help you stay on schedule and allow everyone to get their jobs done in an efficient and timely manner.

Have help available

As much as you would love to be able to do everything on your own all the time, it just is not always possible. It is important to know that you might need some help, especially when several students are moving out at the same time. Having people who are equipped to help you handle things can be a huge relief. Before move-out day, train people in what to do on move-out day. Give them a checklist to go through with each tenant so they can ensure things get done. This way, if you are unable to meet with every tenant, you can be sure that someone is trained and equipped to meet with them. You have enough to worry about as is. Let people come in and help you during busy moments.

Utilize technology

No matter how much planning you do, there is always the chance that things will still feel chaotic and overwhelming. Things can change at any moment, and plans can go awry. Luckily, technology can help you stay connected with your team in case things change throughout the course of move-out weekend. Use cell phone messaging apps to stay in touch, using group chats as well as individual conversations to keep everyone in the loop as to what is going on. There are apps that allow you to assign tasks to those involved with moving tenants out. This allows you to engage with helpers and let them know what still needs to be done. These apps reduce the chance of people working on the same task when other tasks are not being looked at or worked on.

Student move-out weekends can seem overwhelming, but with preparation and planning, you and your team can be successful.