Losing part of a security deposit over cleaning is one of the more avoidable ways to lose money when you move. Landlords and property managers are generally looking for the home to be returned close to the condition it was in when you moved in, not spotless beyond reason, but genuinely clean in the places that get overlooked during a normal week-to-week clean.
Here's what typically gets checked at a move-out inspection, and what a real move-out clean needs to cover that a regular cleaning doesn't.
The Move-Out Checklist
- Inside and outside of all kitchen cabinets and drawers
- Inside the refrigerator, oven, and microwave
- Behind and underneath the stove and refrigerator, if movable
- Inside all bathroom cabinets and medicine cabinets
- Grout, tile, and caulking in showers and tubs, fully scrubbed
- Inside closets, including shelving and floors
- All baseboards throughout the home, not just visible ones
- Light fixtures, ceiling fans, and air vents
- Interior windows and window sills
- Walls spot-cleaned for scuffs and marks
- All floors vacuumed and mopped, including under furniture that has been moved out
- Light switches, doorknobs, and door frames
- Garage, basement, or storage areas if included in your lease
Document Before You Hand Back the Keys
Take dated photos of every room after cleaning is complete, before you leave the property for the last time. If there's ever a dispute about the condition you left the home in, timestamped photos are the simplest way to protect yourself. This takes ten minutes and can save you a fight over money later.
Why Move-Out Cleans Take Longer Than a Regular Visit
A standard recurring clean is built around maintaining a home that's already generally in order. A move-out clean has to undo months or years of things a normal cleaning schedule never touches: the inside of the oven, behind the refrigerator, baseboards that never get their own pass. That's why move-out cleans are priced and scheduled differently than a standard visit; it genuinely is a different (and longer) job.
Moving out of West Haven, Milford, Orange, Woodbridge, Trumbull, Branford, or Hamden? Tell us your move-out date and we'll build the cleaning around your timeline, not the other way around.