The truck is loaded, the boxes are gone, and there is one job left: cleaning the place you just moved out of. It is the least fun part of any move, and it is also the part a landlord or property manager looks at most closely at the final walkthrough.
This checklist covers what landlords typically check, room by room, plus the spots people most often miss and a few timing tips that make moving day easier. Every lease is different, so read yours and ask your landlord what they expect.
What Landlords Look For
A walkthrough is not a white-glove test of every surface. Landlords and property managers are mostly looking for signs that a unit needs work before the next tenant can move in: grease in the kitchen, buildup in the bathroom, dirty floors, scuffed walls and anything left behind. The kitchen and bathrooms get the most attention, because they take the most time to fix.
Gather Your Supplies First
Nothing slows a move-out clean like a trip to the store halfway through. Set aside a box that does not go on the truck:
- All-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner and a degreaser for the kitchen
- Bathroom cleaner and a scrub brush for tile and grout
- Microfiber cloths, sponges and a magic eraser for scuffs
- Vacuum, mop and bucket, plus trash bags
- A step stool for the tops of cabinets and light fixtures
Room-by-Room Move-Out Checklist
Kitchen
- Inside and outside of the oven, plus the stovetop and drip pans
- Inside the fridge and freezer, emptied and wiped, shelves and drawers included
- Inside the microwave and the range hood
- Inside and outside of every cabinet and drawer
- Countertops, backsplash, sink and faucet
- Dishwasher door, edges and filter
Bathrooms
- Tub, shower walls, tile, grout and glass
- Toilet inside, outside, around the base and behind
- Sink, vanity, faucet and inside the drawers
- Medicine cabinet and mirrors
- Exhaust fan cover dusted
- Floor scrubbed, corners included
Bedrooms & Living Areas
- Baseboards, doors and door frames
- Closets: shelves, rods and floors
- Window sills and tracks
- Light switches, outlet covers and handles
- Ceiling fans, light fixtures and vents
- Scuffs and fingerprints spot-cleaned on walls
Floors & Carpets
- Hard floors vacuumed and mopped edge to edge
- Carpets vacuumed, with stains treated
- Carpets professionally cleaned if your lease requires it
- Stairs, landings and entryways
- Under where furniture used to sit
Do not forget the extra spaces
- Basement or storage units: swept out and emptied
- Laundry area: washer and dryer wiped, lint trap cleared
- Porches, balconies and decks: swept, nothing left behind
- Mailbox emptied and any personal items removed
The Most Commonly Missed Spots
These are the places that get skipped when you are exhausted on moving day, and they are easy for a landlord to notice:
- The top of the fridge and the tops of kitchen cabinets
- The oven drawer and the gap between the stove and counter
- The range hood filter
- Window tracks, where dust and dead bugs collect
- Baseboards behind doors
- Closet shelves above eye level
- Light fixtures and ceiling fan blades
- Shower door tracks and the caulk line around the tub
- Under the bathroom and kitchen sinks
Timing Tips for Moving Day
Clean after the last box leaves
Cleaning an empty home is faster and more thorough. Every shelf, closet and corner is reachable, and you are not cleaning around furniture you will move tomorrow.
Book early for end-of-month dates
Most leases end on the last day of the month, and the end of summer is the busiest moving season on the North Shore. If you are hiring a cleaner, reserve your date as soon as you know your move-out day.
Keep the utilities on
Cleaning needs running water and electricity, including hot water for carpets. Schedule utility shutoffs for after the cleaning, not before.
Empty and defrost the fridge first
Clear out the fridge and freezer a day or two ahead so they can be wiped out and left with the doors cracked if your landlord asks for that.
Leave time for carpets to dry
If the carpets are being cleaned, plan for them to dry for several hours before anyone walks on them or the walkthrough starts. Cleaning a day ahead of the inspection takes the pressure off.
Take photos when you are done
Once the place is clean, walk through and take photos of each room. It gives you a simple record of how you left the home.
Moving In Next? Clean Before You Unpack
The same logic applies to your new place. Before the boxes arrive is the easiest time to clean inside the cabinets, the fridge and the bathrooms you will use on day one. A move-in cleaning means you know every surface has actually been cleaned, no matter how the last tenants left it.
Let Us Handle the Move-Out Clean
Every Kind Cleaning does top-to-bottom move-out cleaning across the North Shore, built around the checklist above. Because we are carpet cleaners too, we can deep-clean the carpets in the same visit when your lease calls for it.
Get Your Move-Out Cleaning Quote
Tell us your move-out date and the size of the home. We'll get back to you quickly with a quote.
Move-Out Cleaning FAQs
How long does a move-out cleaning take?
It depends on the size and condition of the home. A small apartment can often be done in a few hours, while a larger house can take most of a day. Kitchens and bathrooms take the most time.
Should I clean before or after the movers come?
After. An empty home is faster and easier to clean thoroughly, and nothing gets dirty again while furniture is carried out.
Do I need to clean the carpets when I move out?
Check your lease. Many leases ask for professionally cleaned carpets. Every Kind Cleaning can clean them in the same visit as your move-out cleaning.
Do I need to be there during the cleaning?
No. Many people leave a key or lockbox code. Just make sure the water and electricity are still on.
Is move-out cleaning different from move-in cleaning?
The scope is similar. A move-out clean is done for the landlord or buyer's walkthrough, and a move-in clean is done for you before you unpack, with extra focus on kitchens, bathrooms and high-touch surfaces.