Rental renewal vs. moving: deciding without last-minute panic.
Rental renewals are a major two-yearly decision. Renew and pay the renewal fee, or move and accept the bigger short-term cost. The decision touches preferences, market rates, mover quotes, and notice-period rules. Decided too late and 'just renew' becomes the default.
Start six months before the renewal
Notice-of-vacate periods are typically one to two months, but actual decision-making needs much longer. Wanting good listings in popular areas during peak moving season requires early action. Snap the lease in Kigen and the expiry extracts automatically with a 180-day-out ping.
Three decision criteria, not twenty
Renewal vs. move can be agonized over endlessly. In practice, three criteria carry the decision:
- Livability: are current issues still tolerable
- Cost: renewal fee and rent vs. total cost of moving
- Life events: is a job change or family change imminent
Lay renewal cost next to moving cost
Renewal fees are typically a month or so of rent. Moving — deposit, key money, broker fee, mover, new furniture — can land at four to six months of rent or more. Building both totals side by side in Kigen lets the household see the same numbers when deciding.
Hit the notice-of-vacate deadline
Missing the notice deadline can mean paying additional rent past the move. Kigen tracks the notice deadline as a separate task back-calculated from the lease expiry.
Align on next-home requirements as a family
House hunting falls apart when preferences clash at the viewing stage. Putting 'non-negotiable' and 'flexible' requirements on a shared shelf before contacting agents makes the search efficient.
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