{"id":6616,"date":"2021-07-20T09:21:17","date_gmt":"2021-07-20T09:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo-catalyst.flywheelsites.com\/?post_type=blog&p=6616"},"modified":"2023-03-25T16:38:59","modified_gmt":"2023-03-25T16:38:59","slug":"the-ins-and-outs-of-move-in-and-move-out-fees","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/blog\/the-ins-and-outs-of-move-in-and-move-out-fees\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ins and Outs of Move-In and Move-Out Fees"},"content":{"rendered":"

There\u2019s nothing cheap about making the decision to move. Realtor fees, legal fees, home inspection fees \u2013 the list goes on. Why then do condo corporations insist on charging people fees not just to move in, but even simply to leave<\/em> the condo community on top of everything else?<\/p>\n

Well, believe it or not, it goes beyond condo corporations just looking to make a quick buck (hard to believe, right? \ud83d\ude09<\/strong>). We\u2019ve once again enlisted the help of Catalyst\u2019s property management expert, Dustin Gutsche, to shine a light on things, so let\u2019s take a minute to explore exactly what those move-in \/ move-out fees cover and why it actually makes a good amount of sense to levy them \u2013 obnoxious though they might be.<\/p>\n

A Five-Point Breakdown of Move-In and Move-Out Fees<\/h2>\n

1. First Thing\u2019s First \u2013 What Do Move-In \/ Move-Out Fees Actually Cover?<\/h3>\n

\u201cMove-in and move-out fees cover something different from property to property,\u201d Dustin explained when this question was posed to him. \u201cTownhome-style condos don\u2019t typically experience much detriment to the common property if somebody moves in. They might end up blocking a driveway, but that\u2019s typically it, so these types of property generally don\u2019t have move-in or move-out fees.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we see a lot more commonly is, when it comes to apartment-style condos,\u201d Dustin continued, \u201cyou need consistent access to an elevator or common loading dock, a condo board might need to hang mats to protect the interior finish of an elevator cab and there\u2019s going to be a cost to do that, some buildings might hire security to watch and ensure common areas aren\u2019t damaged during the move and that people aren\u2019t sneaking in behind movers through the open door \u2013 every property\u2019s unique.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. But My Other Friend Who Lives in a Condo Didn\u2019t Have to Pay Any Fees?<\/h3>\n

As Dustin mentioned up in the previous pointer, some condo corporations don\u2019t levy move-in or move-out fees. Townhome-style condos, for example, simply don\u2019t deal with the same costs (or potential for damage to common areas) that apartment-type condos have in association with moving, and so these sorts of condo communities typically don\u2019t charge residents when they come and go.<\/p>\n

There are also some apartment-style condos out there that don\u2019t charge these fees as a matter of practice \u2013 but that doesn\u2019t mean you aren\u2019t paying for these services somewhere. In these instances, the costs associated with all the services we just ran through (security, elevator access and protection, etc.) are typically covered not by one-and-done moving fees, but as part of everyone\u2019s monthly condo fees. Pay now or pay later \u2013 either way, move-in \/ move-out fees are simply a part of condo living.<\/p>\n

3. Set Yourself Up for Moving Success<\/h3>\n

When it comes to planning a successful move to or from your condo, there\u2019s more to just setting aside the money to cover any relevant fees.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome condo corporations require you to book the move in advance,\u201d Dustin advised, \u201cVery commonly, that means three to five business days\u2019 of advance notice \u2013 so, people really should plan ahead so that we can set up the vendors and the booking as it needs to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n

That advanced notice can be given through a variety of ways: \u201cThey can phone us, they can email us, they can do it through their condo community\u2019s online portal,\u201d Dustin remarked, \u201cbut at the end of the day, we\u2019re going to move everything into an email chain so that we can keep the record straight, ensure they get the right instructions, and confirm that we follow and track through our own processes accordingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

4. Moving Pitfalls to Watch Out For<\/h3>\n

The biggest thing to keep in mind when moving is taking the time to notify your condo board or condo property management company and plan in advance. Now, you might find yourself thinking, \u2018Hey, it\u2019s just a move. I\u2019ve moved before. I\u2019ve got this!\u2019, <\/em>and to that, we have just a one-word response: elevators.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith elevators, it\u2019s extremely important not to brace the door open, because the elevator will think somebody is stuck and will go into a failsafe shut-off mode in order to keep from hurting somebody,\u201d Dustin explained. \u201cThe problem with that is now you have to pay for an elevator tech to come in and reset the door \u2013 and those calls can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars.\u201d Yikes.<\/p>\n

By planning your move, Dustin continued, arrangements can be made to have an elevator put into service mode to keep that scenario from taking place \u2013 but it all starts with that initial communication. \u201cMoving is an owner-initiated process. In order to maintain the security of the building, we don\u2019t allow tenants to self-register or set-up their moves. We require the owner to always be a part of that process, just for the safety of all involved.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Catalyst is Here to Help<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re looking to make a move \u2013 or tighten up your condo corporation\u2019s moving process \u2013 Catalyst is at your service. Whether you need a rundown of your condo\u2019s policy in advance of a move, you\u2019re a condo board member looking to implement a moving policy within your condo community, or need any other sort of assistance regarding moving, move-in fees, or move-out fees, we\u2019re happy to bring our years of industry experience and advocacy-based expertise to help ensure your condo corporation has the moves to handle whatever comes your way.<\/p>\n

Are you moving into a condo? Moving out of one? Make sure you\u2019re knowledgeable about the fees you might be faced with.<\/strong> Contact us at<\/strong><\/a> Catalyst Condo Management Ltd<\/u><\/strong> to learn more about planning for moving success today.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6617,"template":"","categories":[37],"tags":[74,48,55],"class_list":["post-6616","blog","type-blog","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-condo-board-management","tag-amenities","tag-budgeting","tag-condo-fees"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog\/6616"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/blog"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/blog"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6617"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.catalystcondos.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}