FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Whether it's the first time or the 10th time, most Soldiers and Families will agree that the most stressful part of a Permanent Change of Station is packing up a home and getting it ready for new tenants. As a busy PCS season begins at Fort Campbell, Campbell Crossing -- the Lend Lease Company that manages installation housing -- wants transitioning Families to know that the process can be quick and painless. A few easy steps can ensure a successful cleaning of quarters.
Providing proper notice
Providing Campbell Crossing with a notice to vacate gives the housing company a timeline under which to begin the process of readying the living space for incoming tenants.
"There is a requirement by law to give a 30-day written notice to vacate," said John McGraw, operations director for Campbell Crossing.
The written notice is per requirements of the lease agreement, the Soldiers Civil Relief Act and the Uniformed Residential Landlord and Tenant Act. By SCRA standards, the 30 days does not begin until the first day of the following month -- when rent is due. In order to better facilitate military tenants, however, McGraw says Campbell Crossing operates a bit differently.
"Because we understand who our client is, we actually start the term the day they turn the notice in, instead of carrying it to the following month," he said. "Otherwise if somebody turns in their notice on the third and are departing on the fifth of the next month, they would owe for 28 days. That's one of the things we do to help Soldiers in their transition because we know moving is one of the hardest things they have to do."
McGraw explained that the only people who will be excepted from the 30-day notice requirement are Soldiers who have been given what's known as short orders -- meaning the time between date of orders and reporting date is less than 30 days.
"Some people will say 'I want to take leave and that should factor into my 30-day notice,'" said McGraw. "Unfortunately, it doesn't. We have to be able to get the house ready. We have to have time to pre-lease the home, because that's our business practice. We have a government partner that monitors every step of the way what we do."
Making a clean sweep
When a Campbell Crossing tenant turns in a notice to vacate, he will receive brochures and pamphlets to assist with understanding the expectations and cleaning options. Since July 2014, Campbell Crossing has adopted the Clean Sweep standard when it comes to clearing out quarters. Under this new system, tenants are asked to pay special attention to the kitchens and bathrooms of the residences -- ensuring that they are move-in ready for the next Family to move in.
"The main focus is clearing the cabinets and wiping them down, and cleaning the appliances so that the next person to move in has clean appliances," explained McGraw.
Quarters that are deemed not up to standard may be subject to maintenance fees. However, with the new Clean Sweep standard in place, McGraw assures residents that cleaning fees are not a common occurrence upon clearing quarters.
"The people who fail usually do so because they didn't really try to do anything," he said. "We don't want them to pay anything if they don't have to."
Additional Assistance
Once a move-out timeline is set in motion, Campbell Crossing provides a number of tools and services to assist transitioning Families.
"Even before they get to the point of their term, one of the things we do is the Move Out Workshop," said McGraw. "We can schedule that when they do their notice to vacate. They come in and sit through a slide presentation and we have one of our RSCs walk them through what will be the expectation."
"One of the great things about the session is that we try to communicate to different personality types," said Deborah Earnest, leasing manager for Campbell Crossing. "We encompass visual examples along with explanations. We make certain that we hit all the high points for our audience."
Residents can contact any of the Campbell Crossing community offices to find out the dates and locations of the sessions, which take place multiple times per month. As an additional line of assistance, residents can also set up a pre-term inspection with their community offices.
"As they get closer to terming their house and starting to clean, we'll gladly come out to the house and we'll look at where they're at," said McGraw. "We'll give them the pointer to help them find success. It helps them fully realize what needs to be done."
"We want to be a part of the process for a smooth transition," said Earnest. "Our main focus is that we assist the Families. Our community offices network with other installations, so if they have questions about the installation they're going to, we will be more than happy to assist them with that as well."
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