Move-out cleaning checklist

Before you start

• Confirm the home will be empty. Furniture and boxes left behind slow the job and block areas you've been paid to clean.
• Confirm the power and water are on. You need lights, hot water and a working outlet for your vacuum.
• Ask for the lease's cleaning requirements or the move-out inspection list if the client has one.
• Agree on what is not included, such as carpet shampooing, wall repair, trash hauling or exterior windows.
• Take before photos of each room. They protect you if a landlord later questions the work.

Kitchen

• Inside, outside and top of all cabinets and drawers, including shelf corners and crumbs in drawer tracks.
• Cabinet door fronts and handles, degreased.
• Countertops and backsplash, including grout lines and behind the faucet.
• Sink, faucet and drain, scrubbed and polished.
• Oven inside: racks, walls, door glass and the drawer below.
• Stovetop: burners, drip pans or glass top, knobs, and under the lift-up top if it has one.
• Range hood and filter, degreased.
• Refrigerator and freezer inside: shelves, drawers and door seals. Leave the doors propped if it is unplugged.
• Outside of fridge, including the top and handles.
• Pull out the fridge and stove if safe, and clean the floor and sides.
• Dishwasher inside, door edges and filter.
• Microwave inside and out.
• Light fixtures, switch plates and outlet covers.
• Baseboards, then sweep and mop the floor.

Bathrooms

• Toilet: bowl, seat, hinges, tank, base and the floor behind it.
• Tub and shower: walls, grout, glass doors or tracks, fixtures and drain. Remove soap scum and hard-water spots.
• Sink, faucet and counter.
• Inside vanity cabinets and drawers.
• Medicine cabinet inside and out.
• Mirrors, streak-free.
• Exhaust fan cover, dusted or washed.
• Towel bars, toilet paper holder and hooks.
• Baseboards, then floor, including corners and behind the door.

Bedrooms and living areas

• Ceiling corners for cobwebs, and ceiling fan blades.
• Light fixtures and air vents.
• Walls: spot-clean marks, smudges and scuffs. Test a hidden spot first so you don't damage the paint.
• Light switches, outlet covers and door handles.
• Doors and door frames, both sides.
• Closets: shelves, rods, walls and floor.
• Built-in shelves and cabinets, inside and out.
• Baseboards, hand-wiped.
• Carpets vacuumed edge to edge, or hard floors swept and mopped.

Windows and window coverings

• Interior glass, streak-free.
• Window sills and frames.
• Window tracks, vacuumed and wiped.
• Blinds, dusted or wiped slat by slat.
• Sliding glass door tracks and glass.
• Exterior glass only if you agreed to it, and only where you can reach safely from the ground.

Laundry room and utility areas

• Washer: drum, door seal, detergent drawer and top.
• Dryer: lint trap, drum and top.
• Pull out machines if safe, and clean behind and under them.
• Utility sink, shelves and cabinets.
• Floor and baseboards.

Entry, hallways and stairs

• Front door inside and out, including the threshold.
• Stair railings, spindles and each step.
• Hall closets inside.
• Baseboards and floors.

Garage and outdoor areas

• Sweep the garage floor and remove cobwebs.
• Wipe shelving and any built-in cabinets.
• Clean the door into the house and wipe light switches.
• Sweep the porch, patio or balcony.
• Note oil stains or leftover items for the client. Removing them is usually extra.

Final walkthrough

• Walk every room with your checklist in hand.
• Check inside every cabinet, drawer and appliance one last time.
• Look at floors from a low angle in good light to spot missed areas.
• Take after photos of each room and each appliance interior.
• Turn off lights, close windows and lock up as agreed.

Move-in cleaning differences

A move-in clean uses the same list. The focus shifts to making the home ready for someone to live in. Clients often care most about inside cabinets and drawers before they unpack, the fridge, bathrooms, and floors. If the previous tenant left the home in rough shape, treat it like a heavy move-out and price accordingly.

How to price move-out cleans

Move-outs take longer than regular deep cleans because every cabinet and appliance is cleaned inside. Condition varies a lot from one empty home to the next. Price with that in mind.

• Start from size. Bedrooms and bathrooms or square feet set the base.
• Adjust for condition. Ask for photos or do a quick walkthrough for larger homes. A home that was deep cleaned regularly is very different from one with years of buildup.
• List add-ons. Inside windows, blinds, garage, wall washing, extra appliances, and heavy grease or pet hair.
• Set a minimum. Make sure even small units cover your travel and setup time.
• Schedule enough people. Move-outs often have a hard deadline, like a key return or inspection. Send a team big enough to finish on time.
• Collect payment up front or keep a card on file. Clients who are moving away can be hard to reach later.

Illustrative example only: if your team cleans an empty two-bedroom, one-bath apartment in 6 labor hours and your rate is $50 per labor hour, the base would be $300, plus any add-ons. Use your own measured times and rates. Try your numbers in the house cleaning price calculator and read how to price house cleaning for the full method.

Sweepivo's online booking can give an instant move-out price by bedrooms and bathrooms or square feet, with extras such as inside windows, so clients see the full price before they book. Its cleaner app also carries room-by-room checklists, so your team works from the same list every time.

What landlords usually check

Every landlord and property manager is different, but inspections tend to focus on the same areas. Spend extra time here:

• Oven and stovetop. Grease and burnt-on food are easy to spot.
• Refrigerator. Spills, smells and crumbs in drawers.
• Bathrooms. Soap scum, hard-water stains, toilet bases and grout.
• Cabinets and drawers. Crumbs, sticky spots and shelf liner left behind.
• Floors. Corners, edges and under where appliances stood.
• Walls and doors. Scuffs, fingerprints and marks around switches and handles.
• Windows and blinds. Dust and dead insects in tracks and on sills.

Be clear with clients that cleaning removes dirt but does not fix damage. Holes in walls, stained carpet, and broken fixtures are repair issues. Don't promise a client their deposit back. Deposit decisions belong to the landlord and depend on the lease and local law. Your before and after photos are the best support you can give them.

Written by the Sweepivo team, October 2026. General guidance only: check your state and local rules, and talk to an accountant or lawyer about tax and legal questions.

Questions

What is the difference between a move-out clean and a deep clean?

A move-out clean includes deep cleaning plus the inside of every cabinet, drawer, closet and appliance, because the home is empty. That usually makes it longer and priced higher. See deep clean vs standard clean.

How long does a move-out cleaning take?

It depends on size, condition and team size. Time your own move-out jobs by home size and use those numbers to schedule and quote future ones.

Does a move-out clean guarantee a security deposit refund?

No. Cleaning helps, but the landlord decides based on the lease, any damage and local law. Avoid promising a deposit refund, and give the client your before and after photos.

Try it yourself

Every plan comes with a 30-day free trial, no card needed, in English and Spanish. Set up your services and prices, share your booking link, and see if it fits.

Rather see it first? Book a demo call and we’ll walk you through it.