Cleaning might be the last thing on your mind when moving to a new house. However, landlords expect tenants to leave their rental homes clean and in reasonably good conditions during a moving out. Getting your security deposit back depends on leaving the property spotless before moving. Achieve it with our move-out checklist. These are the most important tasks every move-out cleaning should include!

What is a move-out cleaning?

A move-out cleaning is a deep and thorough cleaning that tenants and homeowners do before moving out. Besides routine chores, move-out cleaning includes less frequent and often overlooked tasks like wiping baseboards or dusting ceiling fixtures. Tenants may do the cleaning themselves or hire a cleaning company to perform these tasks.

Move-out cleaning is important because most landlords expect their home to be in the same condition as when you moved in. The law in Florida states that your landlord may keep your deposit and notify you why within 30 days after you move out.

A good reason to clean thoroughly before moving out is to avoid cleaning fees. Get your cleaning tools and supplies ready!

General cleaning

• Spot clean the walls and wipe down the baseboards.
• Dust the window seals and ledges, making sure there is no grime or dust in the higher parts of the window frame.
• Clean the windows with a glass cleaner.
• Vacuum the curtains. If they are washable, throw them into the washing machine.
• Dust and wipe ceiling fixtures, like ceiling fans and light fixtures. Be careful if you need to climb to reach them!
• Remove cobwebs inside the home. You could use a vacuum cleaner to remove them.
• Wipe down doors, door frames, and knobs.

Kitchen

• Empty the cup holders and other cabinets. Wipe inside and outside every kitchen cabinet and drawer.
• Wipe down and disinfect the countertops. For tiled countertops, scrub the grout with a small brush.
• If you were renting a part or fully furnished home, your landlord surely expects the fridge to be cleaned and in good condition. Empty the refrigerator and freezer, then wipe the shelves and drawers inside. Make sure that you leave the fridge empty.
• For homes with microwaves included: wipe outside and inside the appliance. Remove and wash the glass plate. 
• Stove and oven are appliances often provided along with the property. Clean the stove-top by removing the grates and burner caps, then scrub food residues and grease from the surfaces. To clean the oven, follow the self-cleaning instructions carefully to avoid fire hazards. If the oven doesn’t have a self-cleaning option, scrub the food residues and grease inside the appliance. 
• If your landlord provides (within your agreement) other kitchen appliances, clean them too.

Bathroom

• Clean the inside and outside the toilet. Pay attention to the base and behind.
• Clean and disinfect the bathtub as well as the shower. Get soap scum out of the tiles and scrub the grout.
• Wipe down the faucet and clean the sink. 
• Clean the mirrors using a glass cleaner.
• Empty every cabinet and drawer, taking out medicine and other personal items. Wipe down inside and outside cabinets and drawers.

Bedroom/living room

• Dust every piece of furniture that was included in the rental agreement. For unfurnished rental homes, dust and clean the empty spaces where your furniture was.
• Vacuum the curtains or throw them in the washing machine if possible.
• Empty the dressers, bookshelves, and every cabinet and drawer. Wipe inside and outside the furniture.
• Launder washable rugs. If the home has carpets, you could rent a carpet cleaner or hire a carpet cleaning service.

Backyard, front yard, and garage.

• For the front yard and backyard, try to keep the landscaping as it was when you move in. Cut the grass, pull off weeds, wash the decks, etc. 
• Sweep the garage and make sure there are no items stored when you move out. 
• Don’t forget to take any cleaning supplies, furnishings, or even junk before moving out. The landlord could retain a fee from your security deposit if they have to move anything you left out after leaving the house.

Moving is stressful enough to worry about cleaning. BG011 Cleaning Services can help you focus on what’s important. With our move-in/move-out service, we help households in Palm Beach County during the exciting process of moving to a new home. Get your free estimate fast and easy.