Quick answer
Give written notice as your lease requires, find your move-in photos, and book the elevator or loading area early. Protect floors, doorframes and stairwells on move day, clean thoroughly, then film the empty unit. Return every key, fob and gate remote, get it in writing, and leave a forwarding address for the deposit.
A good apartment move out checklist is mostly about evidence and timing. Give notice the way your lease says, document the unit, protect it on move day, and hand everything back with a paper trail. Deposits are rarely lost over one big thing. They go a little at a time: a gouged doorframe, a missing fob, a fridge nobody cleaned.
Coral Springs has a large renter base, and most complexes along Sample Rd, Atlantic Blvd and University Dr are low-rise walk-ups. That means stairwells, long carries and shared breezeways take the most wear on move day. Work through this list from about two months out.
30 to 60 days out: read the lease and give notice
- Find the notice period in your lease. Many require written notice a set number of days before the lease ends; miss it and you may owe more rent.
- Give notice in writing, using the method the lease names (a portal, a form or a letter), and keep a copy.
- Confirm the exact move-out date and the time keys are due. Lease end and move-out are not always the same day.
- Ask for the move-out checklist many management offices hand out, and whether they do a pre-move-out inspection.
- Ask about the building's move rules: hours, elevator or loading area booking, and whether movers need a certificate of insurance.
Two weeks out: book the elevator, loading area and movers
Month-end is the busiest stretch for apartment moves here, and summer month-ends most of all. Elevator slots, loading areas and crews all fill up at the same time.
- Reserve the elevator or loading zone in writing, if your building has one.
- Ask the office to send any certificate of insurance request directly to the mover.
- Book a morning start; afternoon storms often arrive after 2 or 3 pm in summer.
- If you can, move a few days before lease end so cleaning and the walkthrough are not rushed.
Our apartment movers page covers walk-ups, elevator bookings and small moves. North Lauderdale's apartment and townhome complexes see the same month-end crunch; see movers in North Lauderdale. If the date already slipped, read what to do when a move comes up last minute or call about same-day movers.
Photos and video: build your record
Find your move-in record
Dig out the move-in inspection form and any photos you took when you arrived. Any wear that was there on day one is not yours to pay for, but only if you can show it.
Shoot the move-out walkthrough
- Wait until the unit is empty and clean.
- Record one slow video, room by room, with the date visible on your phone.
- Open the fridge, oven, dishwasher, cabinets and closets on camera.
- Take close photos of floors, walls, doorframes, blinds and bathroom fixtures.
- Film the stairwell or hallway outside your door, since move-day damage there can be blamed on you.
Move day: protect floors, doorframes and stairwells
| Area | What gets damaged | How to protect it |
|---|---|---|
| Floors | Tile chips, vinyl tears, scratches from dragged furniture | Floor runners, sliders under heavy pieces, nothing dragged |
| Doorframes | Dents and scraped paint at the unit door and bedrooms | Doorjamb protectors, take legs off tables and beds first |
| Walls | Scuffs along hallways and at turns | Pads on furniture corners, a clear path before carrying |
| Stairwells and breezeways | Railing scrapes, scuffed landings | Pads on railings at the turns, one carry at a time |
| Elevator | Dented panels, scratched doors | Elevator pads, if the building provides them |
Ask the mover how the crew protects floors and doorways before move day. Pads and runners are standard on most moves; confirm they are on yours.
Cleaning and small fixes before the walkthrough
- Clean the kitchen: inside the fridge and freezer, oven, stovetop, microwave and cabinets.
- Scrub bathrooms: tub, shower glass, grout, toilet, mirror and the exhaust fan cover.
- Wipe baseboards, light switches, ceiling fan blades and window sills.
- Vacuum and mop every floor, including inside closets.
- Fill small nail holes only if your lease allows it, and replace dead bulbs.
- Take out every bag of trash. Items left behind are a common deduction.
Keys, fobs and gate remotes
- Unit keys, mailbox key and any storage or laundry keys.
- Building fobs, pool fobs and parking tags or stickers.
- Gate remotes for gated complexes.
Get a receipt
Hand everything to the office in person if you can, and ask for a signed note listing what you returned. A drop box gives you no proof, and replacement fobs and remotes are a common deduction.
Forwarding address and the deposit timeline
Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing before you leave. The deposit, or any notice about it, goes to the address you provide.
What Florida law says, in general terms
Florida's security deposit statute, s. 83.49, sets deadlines that run from the end of the rental agreement (once you have vacated): generally 15 days for the landlord to return the deposit if there is no claim, or 30 days to send written notice of a claim against it. You then have a short window to object in writing. Check s. 83.49 and your lease for the details; this is not legal advice.
If the landlord's notice claims part of your deposit
A claim notice is the start of a conversation, not a final bill. Under the current text of s. 83.49, it comes by certified mail to the last mailing address you gave, or by e-mail under the conditions the statute sets. From the day you receive it, you have 15 days to object in writing. Miss that window and the landlord may deduct the claim and send you the balance.
- Watch the mail and your inbox for the first month, and set up mail forwarding so a certified letter does not sit at the old unit.
- Read each deduction against your record: the move-in form, the move-out video and the signed key receipt.
- Separate wear from damage. Faded paint and light carpet wear after years of living there are not the same as a gouged doorframe. Ask that every charge be tied to a specific item and a cost.
- Object item by item, attaching the photos that answer each charge. Send it in a way you can prove and keep a copy.
- Keep it on paper. If the dispute ends up in court, the statute lets the prevailing party recover court costs and a reasonable attorney's fee, so a tidy file matters on both sides.
A dated video and a key receipt answer the two most common charges before anyone argues about them. If you are moving to a nearby city, such as an apartment in Tamarac, keep the old address on file with the office until the deposit question is closed; see movers in Tamarac. Not legal advice; for a large dispute, talk to a Florida attorney or a local legal aid office.
What actually costs renters their deposit
In low-rise complexes, the damage that turns into deductions usually happens in about ten minutes: the sofa coming through the unit door, and the dresser making the turn on the stairwell landing. Those are the two spots to slow down and pad.
The other repeat problem is timing. Renters who move on the last day of the lease clean in a rush, skip the video and drop keys in a box. Moving even two days earlier fixes most of that.
Quick answers
How long does a Florida landlord have to return a security deposit?
Under s. 83.49, a landlord generally has 15 days after the rental agreement ends and you have vacated to return the deposit if there is no claim against it, or 30 days to send written notice of a claim. The notice goes to the address you provide, so leave a forwarding address in writing. Check the statute and your lease for details; this is not legal advice.
Should I take photos when I move out of an apartment?
Yes. Record a slow, dated video of the empty, cleaned unit, room by room, and take close photos of floors, walls, doorframes and appliances. Compare them with your move-in photos or inspection form. If the landlord later claims damage, these images show the condition you left it in and what was already there.
When should I book movers for an apartment move-out?
Two to three weeks ahead is a good target, and earlier for summer or month-end dates, when crews and elevator slots fill up fastest. Book the building's elevator or loading area at the same time, and ask whether the mover needs to send a certificate of insurance. A morning start avoids most summer afternoon storms.
What should I do if I disagree with my landlord's deposit deductions?
Send a written objection within 15 days of receiving the landlord's notice, which is the window s. 83.49 sets. List each charge you dispute, explain why, and include your move-in record, move-out video and key receipt. Use a delivery method you can prove and keep a copy. If the matter goes to court, the statute awards court costs and a reasonable attorney's fee to the prevailing party. This is not legal advice.
Leave the apartment with the paperwork in hand
Notice in writing, photos at both ends, a protected move, a clean unit, every fob returned with a receipt and a forwarding address on file: that is the checklist. When you call Coral Go Movers, we match you with an independent local mover that handles apartment moves, and that mover gives you a written estimate before move day. Every mover we send is registered with the State of Florida as required and insured. To check dates for your move-out, call (831) 293-1195.
