PG Tenant Move-Out Checklist: Notice, Room Inspection, Dues and Deposit Refund

Short answer: a clean checkout has five parts. Confirm the notice and leaving date in writing, send the final dues a week before, inspect the room with the tenant on the last day, settle the deposit with a written statement, and close your records: keys, register, ID copies and the bed listing. Most deposit fights happen because one of these was skipped.

Below is the full checklist in the order you need it, with a settlement statement you can copy. It is the other half of our PG move-in checklist: what you record at joining is what you check at leaving.

When the tenant gives notice

• Get it in writing, with the date given and the leaving date. A WhatsApp message is enough, but a vague "I will leave next month" is not.
• Check it against your rules. If your notice period is 30 days and they gave 15, say now how the short notice is charged, not on the last day. See our notice to vacate formats.
• Reply to confirm the leaving date, the last day rent is charged for, and that the deposit will be settled at checkout.
• Remind them that notice-period rent is payable as usual, if your rules say it cannot be adjusted from the deposit. This one sentence prevents the most common last-month dispute.
• Book the checkout time: a fixed hour on the last day for the room inspection, with the tenant present.

One week before the leaving date

• Send a dues statement: rent up to the leaving date, any unpaid past months, electricity, food or laundry extras, and fines your rules allow. Ask them to clear it before the last day.
• Work out part-month rent if they leave mid-cycle, by the method in your rules (usually per day).
• Plan the electricity reading. If you bill by meter, take the final reading on the last day and share a photo of it.
• Ask for refund details: UPI ID or bank account, in the tenant's own name.
• Start listing the bed. A bed that is listed a week early often fills the same week. See how to fill vacant beds.

On the last day: room inspection

Inspect with the tenant present and take dated photos. Compare against the photos and inventory from move-in.

Normal wear is not damage. Faded paint, a worn mattress after a year or a loose hinge are the cost of running a PG. Deducting for them is the fastest way to get a bad review.

Settle the deposit with a written statement

Deduct only what your rules and agreement allow, and put every deduction in writing:

• Refund on the day, or within the time your rules promise. Holding a deposit for weeks "to check the room" is a common complaint.
• If dues are more than the deposit, the statement shows the balance owed. See what to do when a tenant does not pay.
• Pay the refund to the tenant's own account and keep the transaction reference.

Our PG security deposit guide covers deposit amounts, fair deductions and refund timelines in more detail.

After the tenant leaves

• Disable access: remove their fingerprint or face from biometric locks, deactivate access cards, and change the Wi-Fi password if it is per room.
• Update your tenant register with the leaving date. Many police verification rules expect the register to show who lived in the property and when. See our police verification guide.
• Foreign nationals: report the departure on the Form C portal (indianfrro.gov.in), just as you reported the arrival.
• Return or delete ID copies you no longer need. Keep only what your records require, and keep it locked away. See our tenant KYC guide.
• Get the room ready: clean, repair, take fresh photos and mark the bed vacant.
• Ask for a review. A tenant who got their deposit back on time is your best review.

One-page checklist

Common mistakes

• No move-in photos. Without them, every damage claim is your word against theirs.
• Adjusting the last month's rent from the deposit, then finding unpaid electricity and damage with nothing left to cover them.
• Surprise deductions that are not in your rules.
• Inspecting after the tenant has gone. Do it together, before you hand over the refund.
• Forgetting to mark the bed vacant, so you keep billing someone who has left, or miss a week of listing.

Doing this with My PG Manager

My PG Manager turns most of this checklist into steps in the app:

• Tenants submit notice in the tenant app with a leaving date and reason. You confirm or reject it, and the tenant is marked as on notice.
• At checkout the app shows every open due up to the leaving date. It will not mark the tenant as left until those dues are paid, adjusted from the deposit, or written off.
• The deposit refund and deductions are recorded, and the tenant sees them in their app.
• Electricity can be billed from per-room meter readings, and the bed is freed for the next tenant when the stay ends.

It costs ₹159 a month for unlimited properties and tenants after a 14-day free trial. See pricing.

Frequently asked questions

How many days' notice should a PG tenant give?

Whatever your PG rules and agreement say. Most PGs ask for 15 to 30 days. Write it in the rules the tenant accepts at joining.

Can the tenant use the deposit as the last month's rent?

Only if your rules allow it. Many owners say notice-period rent must be paid as usual, so the deposit can cover final electricity, damage and lost keys.

When should a PG owner refund the security deposit?

On the checkout day, or within the time stated in your rules, along with a written statement of any deductions.

Can I deduct painting charges from the deposit?

Only for damage beyond normal use, such as holes or heavy stains, and only if your rules allow it. Routine repainting between tenants is a normal running cost.

What if the tenant leaves belongings behind?

Tell them in writing, store the items safely for a reasonable time, and arrange collection. Do not sell or throw them away soon after they leave.

Last reviewed: October 2026. This is general guidance for PG and hostel owners, not legal advice. Follow your written agreement and local rules.