Cleaning Suggestions

As far as cleaning your rental property, it is much advised that you keep up with it throughout the year.  The easiest way is to have a professional cleaning company come in quarterly and clean the unit.  Upon move-out, many property owners require a professional cleaning service's receipt or will hire their own service and deduct it from your deposit.  Know your landlord's expectations and guidelines for cleaning before getting started.

Here are tips for cleaning the property for move-out:

  1. Combine your efforts. As you pack for the move, clean the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen shelves, as well as any drawers and cabinets that are permanent attachments to the rental property.
  2. Remove grease and grime from appliances in the kitchen, and defrost and clean the refrigerator.
  3. Clean bathroom sinks, toilets, tubs and showers, remembering to remove all items from medicine cabinets. 
  4. Wait to vacuum carpets, dust-mop hardwood floors and mop tile or vinyl flooring until after you remove all of your possessions. Make sure the telephone, cable TV, and electrical hookups are in the same condition as when you moved into the rental property.
  5. Remove all garbage and left-behind items, such as trash bags and extra clothes hangers, from the property.