Many people go on vacation during the summer months and rent out there house while they are gone. Some rent it out for individual months and some rent it out for the entire summer. If you are planning on renting your house out for the month of August, it's time to give your house a good cleaning and get the house ready for the new temporary tenants.

Cleaning

Give the house a good, deep cleaning. Sometimes it is best to hire professionals, but if you would like to save the money, here is a checklist that you can go by:

In the kitchen

Wipe down all the appliances, cabinets (inside and out), and the furniture
Scrub down the kitchen floor
Clean the inside and the outside of the refrigerator. Make sure that you remove all the food in both the refrigerator and the freezer.
Empty the dishwasher and give it a good cleaning
Clean out all the food in the cabinets and place them in a box and out of the way, until you come home

In the bathroom

Clean all of the sinks, showers, toilets and floors.
Clean the mirrors
Polish the faucets
Clean out the medicine cabinet

Living Room and Bedrooms

Dust all the shelves
Vacuum the floors

Extras

Be sure to clean and empty all trash cans
Clean the baseboards
If you have garage, be sure to straighten that out as well as the porch.
Give your plants a good watering before you leave. Your tenants probably won't think of that.
Give the walls a fresh coat of paint
Clean the fans
Change the air filters
Wash all of the area rugs
Clean all of the mirrors

Organizing

Go through each room, one at a time, and organize it. Remove any clutter. Any sentimental items or valuables should be removed as well as any family photos. These could take away from the vacation experience of your temporary tenants.

Preparing

Make sure that your new temporary tenants have all the essentials that they will need for the upcoming month(s).

Bed Linens - at least two sets
Dishes - at least two sets
Cookware
Towels - at least two sets
Hand Soap
Small Appliances (such as a can opener, toaster, microwave oven)
Test all the light bulbs and make sure that they are in working order

Add a few personal touches to make them feel at home. Things such as:

Leaving out some local tourist magazines
Leave out some board games for those rainy days
A TV guide should be left on the coffee table
Local art or photography on the walls
Books and movies should be left out in plain view

These tips may help your new temporary tenants feel right at home!