The truck is gone, the rooms are empty, and your deposit is now decided by how this place looks to someone else. Landlords do not inspect like guests. They open the oven, run a finger over the blinds and baseboards, look inside cupboards, and check the window tracks. Everyday clean is not the standard here; the standard is that it looks like nobody lived here.
This checklist is built to that inspection level. It starts with walls, windows and fixtures, then takes on the kitchen where most deposit money is lost, then bathrooms and floors, and it ends with a landlord-style walkthrough and dated photo proof. Print it or open it on your phone, tick each task off as you finish it, and your progress saves. Do the jobs in order and you will hand back keys to a home you can defend, photo by photo, if a charge is ever disputed.
The short version: 72 tasks, about 21.8 hours in total if you do it in one go — and every task can be ticked off in the checklist above as you finish it. The full list is written out below, so the page still works printed or saved.
Whole-Home Reset: Walls, Windows, Fixtures
- Fill every nail and screw hole with filler, level with the wall, and let it dry fully
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Filler/spackle and putty knife - Sand each filled hole flush and touch it up with matching paint so patches do not show at an angle
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Filler/spackle and putty knife, fine sandpaper - Remove all picture hooks, screws and wall anchors you installed and leave the walls smooth
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Filler/spackle and putty knife, rubber gloves - Erase scuff and shoe marks along the hallway and entry walls with a damp magic eraser sponge
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Magic eraser sponges - Remove adhesive strips, hooks and sticky residue slowly so no paint peels away with them
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Putty knife, all-purpose cleaner - Sweep cobwebs from every ceiling corner and around the light fittings
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Broom, step stool - Wipe each ceiling fan blade top and bottom so no gray dust line shows when the inspector turns it on
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Take down light fixture covers, empty out dead insects, wash them and refit them dry
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Clean every blind slat on both sides, working top to bottom, until slats are free of dust and cooking grease
~40 min · Hard · Needs: Microfiber cloths, all-purpose cleaner, step stool - Wash the inside glass of every window until it is streak-free in direct daylight
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Glass cleaner, microfiber cloths - Vacuum each window track with the crevice tool, then scrub out the black grit with a small brush
~30 min · Hard · Needs: Vacuum with crevice tool, scrub brush, all-purpose cleaner - Wipe every window sill, frame and latch clean, including the corners where dust packs in
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Microfiber cloths, all-purpose cleaner - Wash both sides of every door, including kick marks and grime along the bottom edge
~20 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, magic eraser sponges - Polish every door handle and knob until fingerprints and sticky patches are gone
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths, all-purpose cleaner - Clean every switch plate and outlet cover until there are no finger marks around the switches
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wipe the baseboards in every room until they read white or clean-painted, with no dust ridge on top
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Microfiber cloths, all-purpose cleaner, bucket - Dust the tops of door frames, curtain rods and closet rails, which inspectors check with a fingertip
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Wipe handprints and marks off the wall areas around door frames and light switches
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Magic eraser sponges, all-purpose cleaner
Kitchen: Where Deposits Are Won or Lost
- Remove the oven racks and scrub off burnt grease until the metal shows through
~30 min · Hard · Needs: Oven cleaner or baking soda paste, rubber gloves - Scrub the oven floor, walls and ceiling until baked-on grease no longer feels rough or sticky
~45 min · Hard · Needs: Oven cleaner or baking soda paste, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Clean the oven door glass, inside and out, until burnt spots and streaks are gone and it is clear
~20 min · Hard · Needs: Oven cleaner or baking soda paste, glass cleaner - Degrease the range hood top, front and underside until a fingertip comes away without a sticky film
~20 min · Hard · Needs: Degreaser, microfiber cloths, step stool - Remove the range hood filters, soak them in hot water with degreaser, scrub, dry and refit them
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Lift the stovetop grates and burner caps and scrub away the burnt ring around every burner
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, scrub brush - Wipe the stove control panel and every knob free of grease splashes and fingerprints
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Degreaser, microfiber cloths - Empty the fridge completely, take out the crisper drawers, and wipe every shelf and wall free of spills and food odor
~25 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Wipe out the freezer compartment, removing ice buildup, spills and loose food, and leave it dry
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, sponge - Clean the fridge door seals, handles and the dusty top surface that inspectors run a hand across
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, step stool, microfiber cloths - Rinse the dishwasher filter, then run the empty machine on a hot cycle so it drains clean and smells neutral
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Scrub brush, all-purpose cleaner - Scrub the sink until it shines, and clear limescale and water spots from the faucet and handles
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Limescale remover, sponge, microfiber cloths - Empty every kitchen cabinet, vacuum the crumbs, and wipe the inside shelves and doors
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum with crevice tool, all-purpose cleaner - Degrease the cabinet fronts, especially around the handles and the cabinets beside the stove
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Degreaser, microfiber cloths - Wipe the counters and backsplash, and scrub any stained grout or caulk lines behind the sink
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, scrub brush - Scrub inside the microwave, including the door, ceiling and turntable, until no food splatters remain
~15 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, sponge - Wash out the inside of the trash pull-out cabinet or bin space so no odor is left behind
~10 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Sweep and wipe the floor edges under the stove and fridge fronts where grease and crumbs collect
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum with crevice tool, degreaser, mop and bucket
Bathrooms and Floors
- Scrub the toilet bowl, including under the rim, until limescale and staining are gone
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Limescale remover, toilet brush, rubber gloves - Scrub around the toilet seat bolts, hinges and the base, including the floor line behind the bowl that inspections check closely
~20 min · Hard · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Remove limescale from the showerhead, taps and glass screen until fittings shine and water spots are gone
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Limescale remover, microfiber cloths - Scrub the shower grout and tile until dark mold lines are gone from the corners and the tray edge
~30 min · Hard · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, scrub brush, rubber gloves - Polish the shower glass or screen until hard-water spots are cleared and it looks transparent again
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Limescale remover, glass cleaner, microfiber cloths - Scrub the tub basin, taps and plug hole until soap scum is gone and the drain is free of hair
~20 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, sponge, rubber gloves - Clear every bathroom and kitchen drain of hair and check that water runs away at full speed
~10 min · Medium · Needs: Rubber gloves, trash bags - Empty the vanity drawers and cabinet, remove all hair and product residue, and wipe the mirror streak-free
~20 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner, vacuum with crevice tool - Wash the exhaust fan cover and wipe the vent slats so no dust mat is visible from below
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Step stool, sponge, microfiber cloths - Wipe the towel rail, toilet paper holder and bathroom light fitting free of dust and splashes
~10 min · Easy · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths - Vacuum every floor edge and corner with the crevice tool, tight along the baseboards
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum with crevice tool - Vacuum inside every closet and under radiators and heating vents, where dust collects unseen
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum with crevice tool - Spot-treat every carpet stain, testing the cleaner on a hidden patch first, until marks are lifted or clearly faded
~30 min · Medium · Needs: All-purpose cleaner, microfiber cloths, rubber gloves - Vacuum all carpet in slow overlapping passes, working from the entry toward the back rooms
~25 min · Medium · Needs: Vacuum with crevice tool - Mop every hard floor, changing the water when it turns gray so dirt is not spread back on
~30 min · Medium · Needs: Mop and bucket - Scrub the grout lines on the kitchen and bathroom floors where mop water alone leaves them dark
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Scrub brush, all-purpose cleaner - Lift black heel and furniture scuffs off hard floors with a magic eraser sponge
~15 min · Medium · Needs: Magic eraser sponges - Sweep and wash the entry floor and the door threshold so the first step inside looks clean
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Broom, mop and bucket
Final Walkthrough: Inspect Like a Landlord
- Walk every room slowly with this list in hand and write down anything an inspector would flag
~15 min · Easy - Repeat the room check with all lights on and blinds open, since grease and dust show differently in bright light
~10 min · Easy - Shine a phone flashlight at a low angle across the oven, blinds and counters and re-wipe anything that shows
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Microfiber cloths, degreaser - Open the oven, fridge and microwave one last time and confirm each one is empty, dry and odor-free
~10 min · Easy - Open every cupboard and drawer in the home and confirm nothing of yours is left inside
~15 min · Easy - Check the tops of closet shelves and wardrobe rails for left items and dust
~15 min · Easy · Needs: Step stool, microfiber cloths - Sweep the balcony or patio, empty it fully, and clear out any storage locker or shed space in the lease
~20 min · Medium · Needs: Broom, trash bags - Take every bag of trash, recycling and cleaning leftover completely off the property
~10 min · Easy · Needs: Trash bags - Carry out all of your cleaning supplies, tools and personal items so nothing of yours remains
~5 min · Easy - Take a wide dated photo of every room from the doorway, with the floor and windows in frame
~10 min · Easy - Take dated photos inside the open oven, fridge and kitchen cupboards to prove the inspection-grade clean
~10 min · Easy - Take close dated photos of the bathrooms, the stovetop and the cleanest problem spots from your move-in records
~5 min · Easy - Photograph any remaining damage honestly and close up, so it cannot be blamed on a worse cause later
~5 min · Easy - Read the gas, electric and water meters and photograph each dial or display with the date visible in the set
~10 min · Easy - Turn off all taps firmly, switch off the oven and lights, and close and lock every window
~10 min · Easy - Set the heating or thermostat to the level your lease requires for handover
~5 min · Easy - Count the full handover set, keys, remotes and parking fobs, and photograph it laid out together
~10 min · Easy - Send the photo set and meter readings to the landlord or agent and keep your own copy; then lock the door and test it with a firm pull
~10 min · Easy
Pro Tips
- Start the oven cleaner and the range hood filter soak before anything else. They need dwell time while you do walls and windows, and the oven is the single item landlords most often charge for.
- Inspect the way they do: crouch to baseboard level, stand on a stool for the tops of frames and the fridge, and run a fingertip across blinds. If your finger comes away gray, it is not finished.
- Take the final photos after the cleaning gear is out and the floors are dry, in daylight, from the same doorway angles as any move-in photos you have. Matching angles are what make a deposit dispute easy to win.
- Do floors absolutely last and leave through the front door in clean socks or shoe covers. One set of gritty footprints across a mopped floor photographs like the room was never cleaned.
- Hand over keys and meter photos the same hour you finish, in writing. A timestamped message with the photo set closes the story; a dispute raised weeks later has to argue with dated proof.
Frequently Asked Questions
How clean does a rental have to be to get the full deposit back?
The usual standard is the condition in your move-in inventory, fair wear and tear aside. In practice that means inside the oven and fridge, degreased hood filters, clean blinds and window tracks, filled nail holes, and wiped baseboards. If it looks and smells like nobody lived there, you are at the standard.
What do landlords and agents check most closely?
The oven and range hood, blind slats, window tracks, baseboards, limescale in the bathroom, and marks or nail holes on walls. These are also the items cleaning companies charge landlords the most to fix, which is why deductions start there. This list puts them first for that reason.
How long does a move-out clean take?
Plan 6 to 10 hours for a two-bedroom rental with one person, less with two people splitting kitchen and bathrooms. The oven, blinds and window tracks alone can take two hours. Start the day the truck leaves if keys are due the next day, and keep the final photo walkthrough for the last 30 minutes.
Do I need a professional carpet clean to get my deposit back?
Only if your lease says so, and then keep the receipt as part of your handover proof. If the lease is silent, a careful vacuum and spot treatment is normally enough unless there are pet or stain issues noted in the inventory. Check the clause before you pay for a service nobody required.
More Checklists and Guides
- All Home Checklists & Calendars — the full set in one place
- Spring Cleaning Checklist — The annual deep reset, room by room, with the seasonal swaps most lists forget.
- Weekly House Cleaning Checklist — The same weekly loop, every week — tick it off, reset it, reuse it.
- Faster bathroom method, same standard
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