Start with your lease
Read the move-out section and any checklist your landlord provides. Take dated photos of every room before and after cleaning.
Kitchen
This is where most deductions happen.
- Inside the fridge and freezer (unplug only if allowed)
- Inside the oven and stovetop drip pans
- Inside cabinets and drawers
- Sink, faucet and backsplash
Bathrooms
Focus on build-up.
- Tub and shower, including hard-water spots and grout
- Toilet base and behind the toilet
- Vanity drawers and mirror
- Exhaust fan cover
Whole home
Baseboards, door frames, light switches, window sills and tracks, closet shelves and floors. Patch nail holes only if your lease asks you to.
Running out of time?
A professional move-out clean covers every item above in one visit — and you’ll have a receipt to show your landlord.