Lease and move-in checklist for a travel contract stay
Before you sign, check that the listing is real, that the lease dates and exit terms fit your contract, and that every promise made in messages is written into the lease. On move-in day, record the unit’s condition, test what you will rely on, and set up the things that make leaving simple when the contract ends.
How do you check that a rental listing is real?
Do this before any money moves. The Federal Trade Commission’s guide to rental listing scams describes fake ads that “might offer surprisingly low rent or amazing amenities,” and fake owners who claim to be out of the country or give another excuse for not showing the place.
- See the unit before you commit, in person or on a live video walk-through you ask for. The FTC’s advice: “If you can, look at the property before you sign or pay.”
- Search the address together with the owner’s or company’s name. The FTC says that if “other ads come up for the same address, but with a different owner or rental company name, that’s a sign of a scam.”
- Get the lease before the deposit. In the FTC’s words, “get a copy of the contract before you send any deposit money.”
- Refuse wire transfers, gift cards and cryptocurrency. The FTC says paying that way is “the same as sending cash.”
- Walk away from pressure. The FTC again: “if anyone pressures you to make a decision quickly to get a great deal, walk away.”
What should the lease or booking say before you sign?
Read the whole document, not the listing summary. Whether it is a lease with a private owner or a booking on a platform, find these lines:
- The move-in and move-out dates, matched to your contract’s start and end dates.
- What happens if your contract is cancelled or ends early: the notice you must give, any fee, and whether unused rent comes back. A platform booking follows the host’s cancellation policy, as the housing options comparison explains.
- The security deposit: the amount, what it may be used for, and how it comes back to you.
- Which utilities, internet and parking are included, and who you pay for the rest.
- What “furnished” means here: ask for a list of the furniture, linens and kitchen items.
- Rules on guests, pets, smoking and subletting, and whether the lease requires renters insurance.
- Who handles repairs, how you report them, and who to call at night or on a weekend.
If something was promised in messages but is missing from the lease, ask for it to be added before you sign. The signed copy you keep is the version that counts.
Does the stay fit your contract?
A lease can be sound and still be the wrong lease for a travel contract. Check the fit:
- Is your contract signed? Hold off on a lease until it is, and prefer month-to-month terms or an early-exit clause while the start date can still move.
- Does the cost work against your stipend? Put the rent, utilities, any furniture rental, the deposit and the commute into the housing worksheet before you commit.
- Are you counting on an extension? Do not sign for longer than the contract on the hope of one; an extension is not real until it is signed.
- Would agency-provided housing suit this contract better? On a first contract, in a city you do not know, or with a thin cash cushion, handing the lease risk to the agency can be worth more than the money. The questions are set out in furnished rental or the stipend.
- Can you get to the facility at the hours you will work? If you can, drive or ride the route at shift time before you sign.
If you want a contract with firm dates before you sign a lease, ask a ProTherapy recruiter: Find my next contract.
What should you check on move-in day?
Treat your first hour in the unit as an inspection, before you unpack.
- Photograph and video every room, appliance and piece of furniture, with close-ups of anything already worn or broken, and email the files to the landlord or host the same day so the record carries a date. Getting your deposit back explains why, and what some states require of a landlord at move-in.
- Ask for any move-in condition checklist the landlord uses, fill it in, and keep a copy.
- Test the locks, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the hot water, the heating or cooling, the stove, the fridge, the washer and dryer, and the internet.
- Check the furniture and kitchen list against what is actually there.
- Note every key, fob and parking pass you were given.
- Report anything broken in writing, however small, and ask when it will be fixed.
What should you set up in your first days there?
- Mail: the U.S. Postal Service treats a temporary relocation and a permanent move differently, with a separate request for each; its mail forwarding page sets out which applies to you.
- Renters insurance: if the lease requires a policy, send the landlord proof when asked. If it does not, decide whether you want cover for your own belongings.
- Utilities: if any are in your name, set them up so you can stop them on the day you leave.
- Parking: get any permit or registration the building needs, so your car is not towed in your first week.
- Rubbish and recycling: learn the collection days and the rules, so nothing left behind turns into a charge.
- Repairs: save the landlord’s or host’s contact and the emergency maintenance number in your phone.
What should you plan now for move-out?
The end of the stay goes more smoothly if you set it up at the start.
- Find the notice the lease requires before you leave, and put a reminder in your calendar.
- Find the cleaning standard the lease or host expects, and what counts as damage.
- Keep your move-in photos where you can reach them, so you can take the move-out set in the same order.
- Plan to leave a written forwarding address, return every key, and record when you left; the deposit guide above covers what state law says about the return.
- If your contract is extended, get the lease extended in writing before the original end date.
Frequently asked questions
Should I sign a lease before my travel contract is signed?
It is safer not to. Until the contract is signed, the start date can move or the contract can fall through, so prefer month-to-month terms or a lease with an early-exit clause, and get the exit terms in writing.
Do I need renters insurance on a travel contract?
Check the lease first. If it requires a policy, you need one to meet the lease; if it does not, it is your choice, based on what it would cost you to replace your belongings.
What if a host asks for a deposit before I can see the place?
Treat it as a warning sign. The Federal Trade Commission advises looking at a property before you sign or pay if you can, getting a copy of the contract before you send any deposit, and not paying by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
Sources
- Federal Trade Commission, Rental Listing Scams, read October 25, 2026
- U.S. Postal Service, Standard Forward Mail and Change of Address, read October 25, 2026