When you're on the way to your rental property for a final move out inspection, you're crossing your fingers that you're going to find a squeaky clean, move-in ready space. Maybe, just maybe, the carpets have been shampooed, the cupboards are crumb-free, the drains are hairball-free, and baseboards have been dusted.

However, there's a pretty good chance that your previous tenants missed a few things, no matter how well-intentioned and tidy they have been. You may find rings in the toilets, dust bunnies piled an inch high in the ceiling fan blades, mysterious sticky goo in the refrigerator, and stove plates caked with burnt pasta sauce. In some cases, you may even find dents in the floor, cracks in the tile, stains on the carpet, lingering odors, and a broken La-Z-Boy from 1979 left behind in the living room.

No matter what you are on your way to find, it's good to be prepared.

First, double-check the signed lease to make sure you know what would justify you to keep their damage deposit, based on what you agreed upon.

Make sure you have a reliable go-to cleaning crew and a maintenance team. If you've never worked with cleaning or maintenance professionals before, ask around to see if anyone has any recommendations. If you look for some online, make sure you read the Yelp, Google, and Facebook reviews! Before you book, make sure you know exactly what services you'll be getting for the price. It can be helpful to make a list before you reach out to them of everything you need done so you don't forget anything!

If you need to get rid of left-behind furniture, you have a couple of options. You can take it to the Goodwill and donate it, if it's broken beyond usage you can take it to a recycling facility or a dump, or you can research junk hauling services in your area to come pick it up and dispose of it for you. If it's in good condition, another option is to list it for sale on Craigslist or a local buy-sell platform such as OfferUp.

If you need to fill that vacancy fast, sign up for Showdigs. Showdigs connects your prospective tenants to a licensed real estate agent who can show the property to them on-demand. Hassle-free for you, and no delaying the showings when your schedules don't align. Contact us for more info!