The following information is based on the terms of the lease contract, normal business standards of the property management industry, and Virginia Landlord-Tenant Law. Some areas may not be applicable to every situation. All necessary cleaning and other preparations must be completed prior to the end-of-Lease inspection, since due to liability reasons, once keys are returned and possession of the property is surrendered, no further access to the premises is possible.
Permanent stains and odors are not considered "normal wear and tear", and tenants will be responsible for the cost to repair or replace, where necessary, any permanently damaged carpeting, pad and/or subflooring. All carpeting must be professionally and satisfactorily cleaned by an approved company and the receipt provided to T&C Home Management. Please call T&C Home Management for the names and numbers of approved contractors. The cost depends on the amount of carpeting to be cleaned. The carpeting must be well vacuumed first, as steam cleaning will not remove litter and debris. When pets are present, de-flea and de-ticking is required, which involves treatment with a pesticide and usually increases the cost by approximately $50.00. Should tenants: (a) fail to have carpets cleaned, (b) clean it themselves, or (c) use an unauthorized company, T&C Home Management reserves the right to have it re-cleaned by an authorized company at the tenants cost.
Standards of cleanliness are that all easily accessible surfaces (floors, walls, doors, shelves, cabinets, drawers, fixtures, appliances, etc.) must be free of any foreign substances and debris such as grease, hair, food, dirt, finger marks, dust, soap scum, litter, etc. Should the property not be left satisfactorily cleaned, an independent contractor must be selected to re-c1ean it at tenants' cost. Typical problem areas are:
Bathrooms: 1) Hair and litter in drawers, 2) hair, dirt and toothpaste residue on medicine cabinet shelves; 3) hair, soap scum and comet residue on shower doors or in tracks, or on tub and stall surfaces, 4) toothpaste, white film or water spots on vanity fronts and tops.
Doors/Walls/Floors: 1) Dirt, hair, dust or litter on baseboards, window sills and floors (including utility room and garage) 2) finger marks or smudges on interior and exterior doors, light switches and walls; 3) dust or cobwebs on walls and heating vents, 4) light -fixtures and light globes/covers that are dirty, dusty or filled with dead bugs, 5) labels and tape on walls, windows and appliances. (Note: using wax on no-wax wood floors can ruin them, at tenants' expense.)
Kitchen/Laundry: 1) Hair, crumbs and litter in drawers and on counters, 2) sticky cabinet fronts and counters, and appliance surfaces and controls, 3) hair and food residue in refrigerator/freezer, 4) grease in oven, under exhaust fan hood, on burner pans, hood filters, oven racks or broiler pans (Note: using oven cleaning products on self-clean or continuous clean ovens will ruin them at tenants' expense), 5) burnt food and grease under lift-up cook top, 6) soap, dirt or lint on washer or dryer, lint in dryer pull out filter. 7) Trash and/or food under and behind refrigerator and stove.
Glass fireplace doors and fire screens must be clean and intact. All wood-burning fireplace and woodstoves must be free of ashes and firewood. All wood burning chimneys, regardless of the amount of use they may or may not have received, must be inspected, and cleaned if necessary, by a professional chimney sweep, and the contractor's receipt provided to the property manager. Should a receipt not be provided or the chimneys not cleaned adequately, an independent contractor must be selected to re-clean it at tenant's cost. For this reason, the tenants may wish to use a contractor recommended by T&C Home Management.
Any curtains/ blinds/ shades/ rods removed by tenant must be reinstalled and cleaned and pressed as necessary. Broken/missing mini-blind rods, curtain cords and vertical blind slats are the tenants' responsibility.
To avoid the cost of lock changes, every copy of all property keys being held by tenants, including house, garage, mailbox, window, storage room or other specialty keys, and garage door remotes, must be returned at the end of the lease. Failure to return these items may result in rent continuing to be charged for each day they are not returned, and/or the locks changed at the tenants' cost. All exterior doors and windows must be closed and locked.
At move-in, the condition and type of light bulbs were noted. Tenants are responsible for the cost of any additional missing, burnt-out, broken-off or mismatched bulbs, including oven, oven hood, refrigerator, chandelier, bath heat lamp and exterior lights, plus contractors' cost if necessary to replace.
At the end of the lease, the condition of the walls is compared to that at move-in. Normal wear and tear, in the form of a few nail/hanger holds, minor scuffing and curtain rod holes, is acceptable. Per industry and government standards, under normal usage interior paint in good condition is expected to last 5 to 10 years. This, therefore, is used as the basis for determining the tenants' responsibility should damage exceed normal wear and tear. For example, should the interior again require complete repainting after only one year, the tenants are responsible for a minimum 2/3 of the cost. The tenants will also be responsible for the cost to remedy unapproved wallpaper, heavy damage or over-spackling of holes, etc.
Nail holes should not be excessive and no larger than a toothpick inserted.
Tenants can obtain a tube of Nail Hole Filler to fill in the nail holes. We suggest a product called DAP Patch stick which is sold at Home Depot. You can dap in on with your finger or Q-Tip.
A tenant should only touch up paint if they know how to feather the paint out into the existing paint. The tenant is responsible if the paint does not match.
We always suggest hiring a professional painter.
All windows, storm windows and glass doors (and light globes) must be clean and intact. Any screens or storm windows that have been "removed and stored must be reinstalled. The cost to repair any broken windows or damaged screens is the tenants' responsibility. Door/window tracks must be clean and free of debris. Lock all doors and windows.
The lease requires the furnace's air filter to be changed every two months. At the end of the lease, the filter should have only two month's accumulations of dirt. If it exceeds this, the furnace must be inspected and any necessary cleaning/repairs performed at tenants' cost.
The property exterior must be returned at lease end to the quality at the move-in inspection: yard mowed leaves, branches and litter removed, shrubs trimmed. Deck, patio, sidewalks, and driveway must be swept of leaves, branches and litter, and cleaned of dirt, oil, children's chalk, etc. Siding must be free of dirt and cobwebs.
Any of the owners' personal items left behind must remain with the property, including lawn equipment, portable appliances, broiler pans, fireplace tools, window treatments, etc. Garage door, fireplace and ceiling fan remotes, along with any appliance manuals should be left in a kitchen drawer.
Under state law, tenants are responsible for keeping smoke detectors clean, and the batteries fresh, and reporting any malfunctions. Consequently, if any smoke detectors and/or their batteries are missing or dirty, a contractor must be hired at tenants' expense to clean the detectors or replace dead or missing batteries.
Any of tenants' items left in the property at the end of the lease must be considered abandoned as trash. Any cost incurred to remove them is the tenants' responsibility.
The lease requires tenants to promptly report any breakdowns' or other problems that require repair to the property's major appliances, systems and structures, so the cost to remedy any repairs unreported during the lease may be held the tenants' responsibility under certain circumstances.
Tenant must maintain electric, water, and gas (if any), continuously until 3 business days after their lease expiration date, regardless of the date tenant elects to physically vacate the property. This is necessary to: a) safeguard the property against freeze damage and vandalism, b) prevent permanent odors from ruining the refrigerator, c) permit agents to show the property in the evening, and d) permit the appliances and systems to be checked during the final inspection. If utilities are disconnected before the end of the lease, the responsibility for reconnect fees, utility costs, and any damage to property (such as frozen and/or broken pipes) is the tenants' responsibility.
As with all other rent payments the last month's rent must be paid in full by the fifth of the month, or the late penalty will be assessed and immediate collection action and possible legal action commenced. The security deposit is not the last month's rent - it is a deposit for damages that is held until after the termination of the lease, and cannot be used by tenants for any rent payments. Rent is due through the last day of the lease, regardless of the date tenants choose to vacate the property. Unless mutually agreed, the lease always ends on the last day of the month.
