When you move out of a rental, the condition of the unit is often the difference between getting your full deposit back and watching part of it go to cleaning charges. Landlords and property managers tend to check the same places, so it pays to know them.
Start in the kitchen. Inside the oven, the stovetop and drip pans, the inside of the refrigerator and freezer, the microwave, and the inside of every cabinet and drawer. Grease on the range hood and crumbs in the drawers are among the most common things tenants miss.
In the bathrooms, focus on soap scum in the tub and shower, the base of the toilet, the inside of the vanity, mirrors, and the exhaust fan cover. Then move through the rest of the home: baseboards, windowsills, closet shelves, light switches, door frames, and floors edge to edge.
Timing matters as much as the checklist. The best time to clean is after the last box is out and before the final walkthrough. An empty unit lets a cleaner reach the corners and floor space furniture used to cover.
If you'd rather spend move-out week packing, our move-in/move-out cleaning covers everything on this list. Share your move date and the size of the unit, and we'll send a free estimate.