The move-out cleaning checklist that gets your deposit back.
Landlords inspect in a predictable order and dock deposits for the same handful of things every time. This checklist walks the whole home the way an inspector does, so nothing on the walkthrough comes back to cost you.
A move-out clean is a deep clean of an empty home, focused on the spots landlords and buyers actually check: inside the oven and fridge, inside every cabinet and drawer, baseboards, walls, blinds, and floors. Do it after the furniture is out and before the final walkthrough, working top-to-bottom in every room so dust falls onto floors you have not cleaned yet.
Clean it empty, and clean it last
Move-out cleaning only works on an empty home. Schedule it after the movers leave, because every box and couch hides exactly the floor and baseboard an inspector will check. Save it for the final day so nothing gets dirty again before the walkthrough.
Kitchen — where most deposits are lost
- Clean inside the oven, including racks and the door glass
- Empty, defrost if needed, and wipe inside the refrigerator and freezer
- Wipe inside and out of every cabinet and drawer
- Degrease the stovetop, hood, and backsplash
- Scrub the sink and polish the faucet; run the garbage disposal
- Clean the dishwasher interior and filter
Bathrooms
- Descale and sanitize the toilet, tub, shower and sink
- Scrub grout and remove any soap scum or mildew
- Clean inside the vanity and medicine cabinet
- Polish mirrors, chrome and glass; clean the exhaust fan cover
Every room
- Wipe baseboards, door frames, doors and light switch plates
- Spot-clean walls for scuffs, marks and any nail holes you patched
- Dust and wipe blinds, window sills and ceiling fans
- Clean inside closets, including shelves and rods
- Vacuum carpets thoroughly; mop all hard floors last
- Clean interior windows and any sliding door tracks
The spots people forget
Inspectors look here precisely because tenants skip them: the top of the refrigerator, behind the toilet, the dryer lint trap, the inside of the washer, light fixtures full of bugs, the garage floor, and the patio or balcony. Five extra minutes on these is often the whole deposit.