Moving out checklist

• You need to clear all your belongings from the property, including any items in the loft, gardens or outbuildings. If you have a garage, this must also be cleared. We cannot be held responsible for any belongings left in the property.
• You must leave your home clean and in a good state of repair and decoration. All cupboards should be swept out and surfaces washed down, and the bathroom and lavatory must be thoroughly cleaned. Any damage to the fittings, or any unauthorised alterations you may have carried out, should also be made good before the tenancy end date.
• You need to arrange a pre-termination visit with your housing officer, along with a member of our property services team, before your tenancy ends.

Arrange for a pre-termination visit ideally two weeks before your tenancy ends.

We will discuss:

• any repairs/alterations which are your responsibility to put right
• how you should leave the property
• what work is required in your home (this could help you avoid any extra costs).

Arrange a pre-termination visit by contacting our property services team:

• email: housing.repairs@dover.gov.uk (opens in new tab)
• phone: 01304 801110

If we need to carry out work to your property, we will do the work required and send you an invoice to pay.

Usually the costs we charge for include:

• removal of any items left in the property without our express permission
• cleaning and clearing the property of any rubbish
• changing the locks to the property where the keys are not returned at the proper time
• any additional work which should have been carried out before the tenancy end date, for example repairing any damage to the property
• decorations due as a result of the property not being kept in a condition required by the Tenancy Agreement.

If the tenant has died, the estate is liable for any rechargeable costs. See costs below.

• Possible recharges at the end of a tenancy (opens in new tab)

Any unauthorised work you have carried out will be assessed and may need to be removed at your expense.

All keys must be returned to the main council offices no later than 12 noon on the Monday the tenancy ends.

Please obtain a receipt when you return the keys. If they are not returned by 12 noon on the Monday, another week's rent will be charged and this might not be covered by housing benefit.

We may also decide, for security reasons, to change the locks to the property and reclaim the cost from you or the estate.

If you move out before your tenancy end date, any housing benefit or Universal Credit you receive is likely to stop, and you will be responsible for the full rent. You must contact our housing benefit team or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to discuss your circumstances.

Any outstanding rent at the end of the notice period will be invoiced, and failure to contact us early may result in your case being referred to our legal team, with additional costs added.

You remain responsible for the property’s security until the termination date, and keys must be returned by that date. You must also provide vacant possession, meaning no one should still be living in the property.

We cannot assist in the collection of mail and the new tenant is unlikely to be willing to redirect any mail.

On the payment of a fee, the Post Office will redirect mail for a fixed period and you can obtain details of this service at any Post Office counter.

You should arrange for final readings to be taken of gas, electricity and water meters. You are also advised to take your own readings in case of dispute.

Do not ask for disconnection as a new tenant will occupy the property soon after. In winter months, the water supply should be drained to prevent freezing pipes. It should also be drained if the property is going to be left empty before the tenancy end date.

Leave all gas and electricity meter keys in the meters. These cannot be transferred to a new property.