This is your last real chance to protect your deposit
The days right before you hand back your keys are the last opportunity you have to influence what your deposit return looks like. A careful final inspection, a real cleaning pass, and clear documentation are the difference between a smooth refund and a drawn-out dispute over charges you can't easily challenge once you no longer have access to the unit.
Do a final walkthrough with fresh eyes
Walk through the unit as if you were seeing it for the first time, room by room, the same way a landlord's inspector will. Check for anything you might have missed living there day to day — a nail hole behind furniture you're about to move, a stain under a rug, dust built up on top of cabinets or the refrigerator. Don't skip areas you rarely think about, like a balcony, a storage closet, a garage, or a shared laundry area assigned to your unit — landlords do check them, even if you never used them much. Bring your move-in inspection checklist with you if you have it, and compare what you see against what was already there when you moved in.
Clean and handle small repairs
Do a real cleaning pass — kitchens and bathrooms especially, plus the inside of appliances, cabinets and closets. Fill small nail holes with spackle, replace any burned-out bulbs, and take care of the small things you're actually responsible for. None of this needs to be professional-grade, but it removes the easiest excuses for a deduction and shows a landlord you left the unit in reasonable shape. If you hire a cleaning service, keep the receipt — it's evidence the work was done in case a cleaning charge shows up anyway.
Document everything, the same way you did at move-in
Photograph and video every room using the same systematic approach you used when you moved in — walls, floors, closets, appliances, fixtures, and the insides of cabinets. A true side-by-side comparison, ideally from the same angles and distances, is far more convincing than photos taken for the first time at move-out with nothing to compare them against. Do this after you clean and after you've moved your furniture out, not before, so the photos show the actual condition you're leaving behind.
Ask for a joint walkthrough
Some states give tenants the right to request an inspection before the final move-out assessment, specifically so you can fix anything the landlord identifies before it turns into a deduction. California's statute is a detailed, verified example: a tenant can request an initial inspection, the landlord has to give at least 48 hours' notice of when it will happen, and any deductions for issues that weren't identified at that inspection are generally off the table if the tenant asked for one (Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5). Whether your state gives you this exact right or not, asking your landlord for a walkthrough before you leave rarely hurts, and it gives you a chance to fix small things before they cost you money.
Give your forwarding address in writing
Some states won't start the clock on returning your deposit until they have your forwarding address in writing — provide it explicitly, even if it feels obvious that your landlord already knows where you're going. A short email or note with your new address is enough, and it removes one common excuse for delay. Send it separately from any other move-out communication so there's a clear, dated record that you provided it.
Return the keys in a documented way
Hand over the keys in person with a signed, dated receipt, or send them by certified mail so there's a delivery record. Never leave keys in the unit or with a neighbor without confirmation that your landlord received them — an undocumented key return can turn into a dispute over when your tenancy actually ended, which can affect both your final rent and your deposit deadline. Also forward your mail, cancel or transfer utilities effective the day you leave, and confirm your renters insurance policy end date lines up with your actual move-out. Upload your lease to Honestkey and its move-out checklist walks through each of these steps so nothing gets missed on your way out the door.