Move-out cleaning checklist

Before you start

The aim of a move-out clean, if you rent, is to hand the home back in the condition it was in when you moved in, apart from ordinary wear and tear. So start with what you agreed to, not with a sponge:

1. Read the cleaning clause in your lease, and ask your landlord or property manager for their move-out checklist if they have one.
2. Find your move-in photos or inspection report. They are your evidence of what was already there.
3. Clean after the movers have gone, when every surface is reachable — not before, when furniture hides half the floor and boxes bring in dust.
4. Gather supplies: an all-purpose cleaner, a degreaser for the kitchen, a bathroom descaler, glass cleaner, microfiber cloths, a scrub brush, a vacuum with a crevice tool, a mop and bucket, a step stool and trash bags.

One safety rule matters more than any technique: never mix bleach with ammonia or with other cleaners such as toilet-bowl cleaner. Poison Control warns that bleach and ammonia together create a poisonous gas (Poison Control). Use one product, rinse, then use the next, and keep windows open.

Work top to bottom in each room — ceiling corners and light fixtures first, floors last — so dust you knock down gets picked up at the end.

Kitchen

The kitchen takes longest and is where landlords look hardest.

• Empty, wipe and dry every cabinet and drawer, inside and out, including the top edges of the doors.
• Clean the oven inside, including racks and the door glass. Start early — oven cleaner needs time to work.
• Clean the stovetop, burners or drip pans, and knobs; pull a freestanding range out if you can and clean the floor and walls behind it.
• Clean the range hood and its filter, which collects grease.
• Empty, defrost if needed, and wash the fridge and freezer, including shelves, drawers and door seals. Leave it running or as the lease says.
• Run the dishwasher empty, wipe the door edges and seal, and clear the filter.
• Clean the microwave inside and out.
• Scrub the sink and faucet, descale around the base, and wipe the backsplash.
• Wipe the counters, then the cabinet fronts and handles.
• Sweep and mop, including under where the fridge stood.

Bathrooms

• Descale and scrub the shower, tub, glass doors and tracks; clean the showerhead.
• Scrub grout and caulk lines. Stained caulk sometimes needs replacing rather than cleaning — ask your landlord before you do it yourself.
• Clean the toilet inside and out, including the base, the hinges and behind it.
• Clean the sink, faucet, counter and the mirror.
• Empty and wipe the medicine cabinet and vanity drawers.
• Wipe the exhaust fan cover, light fixtures and towel bars.
• Mop the floor, getting into the corners and behind the door.

Bedrooms and living areas

• Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures and the tops of door frames.
• Wipe walls where they get marked — around light switches, beside beds and along hallways. Test any cleaner on a hidden patch first; scrubbing flat paint can leave shiny spots.
• Wipe light switches, outlet covers, doors and door handles.
• Wipe baseboards all the way round.
• Empty closets, wipe shelves and rails, and vacuum the closet floors.
• Clean window sills and tracks, and the inside of windows.
• Vacuum carpets thoroughly, edges included, and mop hard floors.
• Remove nails or hooks only if your lease asks you to; ask how holes should be left.

Carpet shampooing is usually a separate service. Check your lease for whether professional carpet cleaning is required and whether you need a receipt.

Everything else

• Laundry area: clean the washer drum and door seal, the dryer lint trap, and the floor behind both.
• Entry and hallways: wipe the front door, mailbox and light fixtures.
• Garage, balcony or patio: sweep out and remove anything you left.
• Trash and recycling: take everything to the curb or the dumpster, and check the bins are empty.
• Replace burnt-out bulbs and HVAC filters if your lease makes them your job.

If you are selling rather than renting, the standard is set by your purchase contract, which often says the home should be left “broom clean”. That usually means empty, swept and free of debris rather than deep cleaned, but ask your agent what the contract you signed actually requires before you book anything.

Protecting your deposit

Deposit rules are state law, and they differ. California is one example: its Civil Code lets a deposit cover cleaning needed to return the unit to “the same level of cleanliness it was in at the inception of the tenancy”, and gives the landlord 21 calendar days after you move out to return the deposit with an itemized statement (Cal. Civ. Code §1950.5). Other states set their own deadlines and rules. Your state attorney general’s office or housing agency usually publishes a tenant guide — check yours.

Whatever state you are in, these help:

• Photograph and video every room after the clean, with dates, including inside the oven, fridge and cabinets.
• Keep receipts for any professional cleaning or carpet cleaning.
• Ask for a walk-through with the landlord before you hand back the keys, if they will do one.
• Give your forwarding address in writing, so the deposit and any itemized statement can reach you.

Hiring a move-out cleaner

A professional move-out clean is often worth it if you are short of time between keys, or the home is large. Angi reports a move-out clean at $120 to $420 and This Old House at $200 to $400 (both as read October 2026); for comparison, Angi puts a standard cleaning visit at $118 to $238. Size, the number of bathrooms, the state of the oven and whether carpets are included move the price. The house cleaning cost guide has every range with its source.

When you book, give the cleaner your landlord’s checklist, say the home will be empty, ask what is included (inside the oven and fridge, interior windows, walls) and what is extra, and arrange access if you will not be there. Ask for proof of insurance. You can compare local house cleaners on Fixerlane and contact them directly. Our sourcing is described in how we research.

Common questions

How long does a move-out clean take?

It depends on the size of the home and its condition. The oven, the bathrooms and inside the cabinets take the longest. If you hire a company, ask how many cleaners and hours they are quoting for.

Do I have to clean the carpets when I move out?

Check your lease. Many treat carpet cleaning as separate, and some require a professional clean with a receipt. Normal wear on a carpet is different from stains or damage.

Can my landlord charge cleaning to my deposit?

In many states, yes, for cleaning needed to bring the home back to how it was at move-in, apart from ordinary wear and tear. The rules and deadlines are state law, so check your state’s tenant guide.

What do landlords check first?

Usually the kitchen — inside the oven, fridge and cabinets — and the bathrooms. Those are where build-up is most obvious in an empty home.

Should I fill nail holes?

Ask your landlord. Some prefer to patch and paint themselves, and a badly matched patch can look worse than a small hole.

How much does a professional move-out clean cost?

Angi reports $120 to $420 and This Old House $200 to $400 (as read October 2026). The size of the home and add-ons like carpets move the price.

Is a move-in clean worth it too?

If you can book it before your furniture arrives, yes: it is the one time every surface is reachable, and you start with a clean baseline and fresh photos.

Sources

Safety and standards advice on this page comes from these publishers. Dates are the ones each page shows.

• California Legislative Information, Civil Code §1950.5 (security deposits) (as amended effective January 1, 2026)
• Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center), What Is Bleach? (read October 2026)