12/09/2025
Before You Lose Your Deposit
I’ve been doing move-out cleanings long enough that landlords and property managers who work with me will recommend my team directly to their tenants. In some cases, they also let them know that if it isn’t cleaned correctly, they may be charged to have us come back and redo it.
This list covers the top things that get missed most often… not everything that needs to be cleaned. Shining mirrors, scrubbed sinks, wiped counters, and detailed surface work all still matter.
⚠️ This is a cleaning-only list. Any repairs, replacements, or touch-ups are separate.
📋 Top 10 Things That Decide Your Deposit
1. Kitchen Appliances (Inside + Behind = Non-Negotiable)
Oven, stovetop, microwave, fridge, freezer, dishwasher —
✅ Inside, outside, AND pulled out to clean behind and underneath.
🚫 Do NOT run self-clean with debris inside the oven — that’s a fire hazard.
👉🏽 “I wiped it” is NOT cleaning.
2. Bathrooms: Grime Lives Here
Toilet base and behind it, shower walls, tracks, glass, fixtures, drains, mirrors.
✅ Use appropriate tools & cleansers.
🚫 No toilet bowl or oven cleaner on tubs, sinks, or showers — both can damage surfaces.
No soap scum. No hair. No mystery rings.
3. Floors: Order Matters
Multi-pass vacuum on carpets. Sweep + mop hard floors. Edge work matters.
✅ Vacuum BEFORE carpet cleaners are set.
🚫 Do NOT shampoo first — especially with pets. That shampoos hair INTO the carpet, not out of it.
4. Walls, Doors & Baseboards
Handprints, scuffs, food splatter, switch plates, door edges, baseboards (dusted & wiped).
This is where “quick cleans” get busted.
5. Cabinets & Drawers (EMPTY + WIPED)
Kitchen + bathrooms. Inside, outside, and top edges.
Crumbs = automatic deduction.
6. Trash & Leftovers: Zero Means Zero
No bags. No fridge food. No patio leftovers. No “just one bag.”
7. Vents, Filters & Fans
Greasy kitchen vents, dusty bathroom fans, HVAC filters, ceiling fans and light fixtures — often overlooked and frequently billed when skipped.
8. Windows, Tracks & Blinds
Glass wiped, tracks vacuumed + wiped, blinds dusted.
Dead bugs = fail.
9. Closets & Utility Areas
Floors cleaned, shelves & baseboards wiped, washers dry, lint traps emptied.
No random hangers. No forgotten boxes.
10. Final Smell Test
If it smells like pets, smoke, trash, mildew, or last week’s cooking… you’re not finished.
🤢 If the smell test fails, you still have options:
• Enzyme odor eliminators (break down pet & human odor at the source)
• Ozone machines (for severe smoke and long-term odor — use properly and safely)
• Re-mopping with deodorizing cleaners like Pine-Sol or OdoBan
Masking odors won’t pass inspection… neutralizing them will.
🚫 Last Thing That Gets People Charged Every Time
Do NOT take all the toilet paper, light bulbs, batteries, filters, or remote covers.
Those are standard fixtures — not souvenirs.
Leaving these items is both a courtesy to the next tenant or new owner and the easiest way to avoid unnecessary charges being deducted from your deposit.
Yes, people do this.
Yes, they get billed.
