Do You Need to Clean Your Apartment at the End of the Lease?

So the time is coming – your lease is ending, and you are in the process of moving out. You have too many things on your mind, like what and how to pack, how to move everything, and much more. 

Then you suddenly realize that the place is terribly dirty from all the moving around of furniture and other stuff. That's when you ask yourself – do I need to clean everything thoroughly, or is that something my landlord should do?

If you’re wondering about that, we can help you out. In this article, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about cleaning at the end of your lease and whether or not you need to do it.

What Are the Rules of Cleaning at the End of a Lease?

You are probably wondering what the rules state in this case. Do landlords have to clean between tenants? Or is it something that tenants do themselves?

As you can already guess, there are no rules about it unless it's in the lease. That's why you need to check your lease to see who needs to clean the apartment at the end of it. It would be best if you did so because a failure to comply can often result in forfeiting your initial deposit. 

Most landlords opt for having the standard clause when it comes to cleaning. The tenant receives a cleaned apartment, and they need to leave it in the same condition when they leave. That essentially means that you have to do a thorough cleaning of the place. 

If that clause doesn’t exist, you should discuss it with your landlord. It’s always best to part on good terms, so you can offer to clean it or split the costs for hiring someone to do it. The typical cost of a thorough cleaning should be between $100 and $200, so it's not really something that you can't arrange with your landlord.

The Moving Out of Apartment Cleaning Checklist

In most cases, the renters need to clean the apartment on their own, so if you don’t want to hire someone, or you can’t, we have a checklist for you. If you follow it, you’ll end up thoroughly cleaning the apartment and leaving it in the same state you found it. It will be easy; it's just like spring cleaning!

• Clean cobwebs and dust from the ceiling
• Dust the blinds and wash the windows (both on the outside and the inside)
• Clean the light fixtures and change the lightbulbs that have gone out
• Check if the smoke detector is functional and replace the battery if necessary
• Dust and clean all horizontal places in the apartment where dust can accumulate (do the same in hard-to-reach areas)
• Wipe the shelves, cabinets, and pantries in the kitchen
• Clean the fridge
• Clean the oven
• Clean and sanitize sinks and drains
• Clean the bathroom thoroughly and sanitize it
• Clean the carpets and rugs
• Vacuum the floors and mop them afterward (save this as the last step because a lot of dust and chemicals will fall on the floors while you're cleaning the apartment)

Once you're done, make sure you haven't forgotten any of your stuff. That's also an excellent opportunity to ensure you haven't forgotten to clean something. 

When that's done, you'll have nothing more to do, and you can move out and get to your new apartment, knowing that you did everything perfectly!