Make This Useful

Updated · Make This Useful

Move-out cleaning checklist

A move-out clean covers what a regular clean skips: inside the oven, fridge, cabinets, drawers and closets, plus baseboards, window tracks, vents and light fixtures in every room. The home is usually empty, so you also clean where the furniture stood. Photograph each room before and after, so you have a record if the landlord questions the clean.

Edit the move-out list

Room by room, inside and out. Take off anything the customer did not book and add what this property needs.

Move-out cleaning checklist

  • Walk through first: rooms, what is still in the unit, keys and access
  • Photograph damage, stains and anything left behind before you start
  • Kitchen: inside the oven, racks, drawer and door glass
  • Kitchen: inside the fridge and freezer, shelves out, door seals wiped
  • Kitchen: inside every cabinet and drawer, crumbs and shelf liners out
  • Kitchen: stovetop, range hood and filter, backsplash and counters
  • Kitchen: microwave and dishwasher inside, sink and faucet polished
  • Bathrooms: toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it
  • Bathrooms: tub or shower, tile, grout lines, glass and fixtures
  • Bathrooms: vanity inside and out, mirror, medicine cabinet, fan cover
  • Every room: inside closets, shelves and rods
  • Every room: baseboards, doors and frames, switches and outlet covers
  • Every room: window sills and tracks, blinds, inside glass
  • Every room: ceiling fans, light fixtures, vents and returns
  • Spot-clean wall scuffs that wipe off; note marks that need paint
  • Vacuum carpets and edges, mop hard floors, including where furniture stood
  • Garage, patio or balcony if it is on the quote
  • Trash out, nothing left in cabinets, closets or the fridge
  • Final photos room by room, then keys and remotes back as arranged

How much more is a move-out clean than a regular clean?

About double per square foot. HomeGuide lists move-out cleaning at $0.22–$0.33 per square foot against $0.10–$0.17 for a regular clean (checked October 2026). On a 1,200 sq ft apartment that is $264–$396 instead of $120–$204. The difference is the inside work: the oven, the fridge and every cabinet and closet are where the hours go.

What do landlords and property managers check first?

They open things. The inside of the oven and fridge, cabinet shelves, bathroom grout and window tracks are where a move-out inspection usually starts, then the floors and baseboards. A unit that looks clean from the doorway can still fail on the oven racks. Do those jobs first, while you are fresh, and photograph them when they are finished.

What is not part of a move-out clean?

Carpet shampooing, washing whole walls, repainting, hauling furniture or junk, and outside windows. Each can be an add-on with its own line on the quote. Say what is out in writing, because tenants often expect a move-out clean to guarantee the deposit whatever state the unit is in.

If the unit is not empty when you arrive, call before you start. Bags of trash and a left-behind couch change the job: price the hauling or move the date rather than cleaning around them and eating the time.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a move-out clean take?

Longer than a regular clean of the same home, because the inside of every appliance, cabinet and closet is added. Book it as a deep-clean slot, not a standard visit, and price it from the move-out rate or your own hours rather than your regular per-visit price.

Is carpet cleaning part of a move-out clean?

Vacuuming is. Shampooing or hot-water extraction is a separate service with its own price. Some leases ask for professional carpet cleaning with a receipt, so if you offer it, put it on the quote as its own line and give the customer the receipt with your invoice.

What if a stain or mark will not come out?

Photograph it, note it on the checklist and tell the customer before you leave: burnt-on oven marks, stained grout, scuffs that need paint. A list that says what is left helps a tenant at the inspection far more than one with every box ticked.

Is a move-in clean different from a move-out clean?

The work is the same: an empty home, inside every appliance, cabinet and closet. The difference is who you answer to. A move-out clean is judged by the landlord’s inspection; a move-in clean by the new owner or tenant, who usually wants the shelves and drawers wiped before anything goes in them. Use this list for both.

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