What does a Move In or Move Out Fee Mean?

Moving into your first college apartment is an exciting time.

Whether you’re moving from home or a dorm on campus your first apartment is still a thrilling change. But with that chance comes some fees that you might not know about, like the ‘move in-move out’ fee.

A security deposit is something that we all expect to have to pay when getting your first apartment, but the ‘move in-move out’ fee is something you need to know about and consider.

Although a ‘move in-move out’ fee can be confused with a security deposit they are not the same thing.

First of all, it’s nonrefundable. A security deposit is something that you can theoretically get back at the end of your lease if you’ve left your apartment in a satisfactory condition. The landlord can also make deductions from your deposit to pay for things like cleaning or maintenance, but they have to let you know.

There may be other kinds of deposits you have to pay, like a pet deposit or parking fee, but a fee to move into your apartment can feel a little ridiculous.

It might feel like this is a fee that you shouldn’t be paying, but all of the money goes towards something to prepare the apartment for you to move in. For many apartments, the move in fee covers the changes they would have to make between tenants, like a name change on a mailbox or a directory.

Many landlords also lower the security deposit to make up for the added charge. Since the move in-move out’ fee is still pretty new it can be easy to think you’re being ripped off, but it does go towards something.

Either way, it’s always still a good idea to talk to your landlord about any fees to make sure that you aren’t being taken advantage of in any way. 

Have any more questions? Comment below!

About the author:

Kathryn Hill was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She is a senior English student at Sam Houston State University. Kathryn has written for the blog and social media of the educational website Curriculum café.