AppFolio Tutorials - Ep. 10 How to move out tenants

Hello everyone, and welcome back to APM Academy. In today’s video, we’ll cover how to move out tenants properly within AppFolio.

Many mistakes happen during move-outs. Common errors include:

1. Clicking “Hide Tenant” and removing them from the system — this prevents generating a disposition letter.
2. Manually changing the tenant status box without using the move-out task — this creates extra manual work.

The best practice is to use the Move Out Tenants task on the right-hand side.

Note: In student housing or similar situations, you can move out one tenant at a time if needed.

Step 1 – Start the Move Out

1. Click Tasks → Move Out Tenants.
2. Enter the following information:
   • Notice Status
   • Move Out Reason (e.g., “Tenant wants to move back to the Shire”)
   • Move Out Date
   • Unit Availability Date
3. Click Save.

Step 2 – Forwarding Address

1. Enter the tenant’s forwarding address to process their security deposit refund.
2. Click Save.

Step 3 – Charges and Credits

1. Post any charges for:
   • Maintenance
   • Repairs
   • Damages caused by the tenant
2. Example: Bilbo damaged the AC — post HVAC repair charge with a note, e.g., “Excessive smoke damage.”
3. Review all charges and credits in the Move Out Summary:
   • Total charges
   • Security deposit amount
   • Net security deposit refund
4. Split the security deposit as applicable:
   • Evenly between tenants
   • Custom percentages
   • Or issue a single check for all tenants
5. Click Save and Post Accounting.

Step 4 – Bank Transfers (if applicable)

• If you have separate Security Deposit and Rental Trust bank accounts:
  • Transfer funds between accounts manually.
  • Ensure the deposit is reflected correctly in the rental trust account.

Step 5 – Refund and Disposition Letter

1. Finalize the refund:
   • Review the check or transfer.
   • Click Finalize to complete the refund.
   • Print the check to send to the tenant.
2. Download and upload the Disposition Letter to the tenant’s file.
3. Share it with the tenant.

Step 6 – Finish Move Out

• Once all move-out accounting and documentation are complete, click Finish Move Out.
• This fully closes the tenant record.
• If left unchecked, the move-out remains active in the system.

Example: Tenants moving out August 31st will remain under the Notice section until that date passes.

This is the proper method to move out tenants in AppFolio, ensuring accounting, deposits, and reporting are correctly handled.

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