Move-out week is stressful, and cleaning is the part that tends to get squeezed. The problem is that the cleaning is also the part a landlord may look at when deciding what to deduct from your deposit.
Direct answer: clean an empty unit from the top down, in this order: remove belongings and trash, then ceilings and fixtures, cabinets and appliances, bathrooms, windows and baseboards, and finally the floors. Take photos when you finish. And read your lease and any written move-out instructions first, because in Texas they, not a universal standard, decide much of what "clean" means.
This is general information, not legal advice. For the Texas security deposit rules, see our deposit guide.
Before you start
- Read your lease for a cleaning or move-out section.
- Ask your landlord or property manager whether they have a written move-out cleaning checklist. Some do, and following it is the most direct way to know what "clean" means to them.
- Check for carpet requirements. Some leases require professional carpet cleaning and a receipt.
- Plan the cleaning for after your belongings are out but before the final walkthrough.
The checklist
Whole home (do first)
- Remove all belongings, boxes, food, and trash
- Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, and vents (reachable ones)
- Wipe baseboards, door frames, and doors
- Wipe switch plates and outlet covers
- Clean inside closets, including shelves and rods
- Remove cobwebs
Kitchen
- Inside the oven, racks, and the stovetop
- Range hood and filter, where reachable
- Inside the refrigerator and freezer (remove shelves and drawers and wash them)
- Inside and outside the microwave
- Dishwasher: wipe the interior and clean the filter if your model has one
- Inside and outside of cabinets and drawers
- Countertops, sink, and faucet
- Wipe appliance exteriors
Bathrooms
- Toilet (all sides), tub or shower, tile, and glass doors
- Sink, vanity, and mirror
- Grout, where there is visible buildup
- Exhaust fan cover
- Floors
Bedrooms and living areas
- Wipe walls where there are marks (spot-clean, do not scrub paint off)
- Wipe window sills and tracks, and clean interior glass
- Dust blinds
- Check corners and edges of the floor
Floors (last)
- Vacuum carpet, including edges and closets
- Sweep and mop hard floors, including edges and corners
- Check carpet requirements in your lease before you decide whether to rent a machine or hire a professional
The items that get missed
These items appear on most of the move-out checklists we reviewed, and they are easy to skip when you are rushing:
- Inside the oven and fridge
- Window tracks and sills
- Baseboards and door frames
- Inside cabinets and closets
- Light fixtures and vents
- Bathroom grout and exhaust fans
For the rest of the items, and the ones that sit in a gray zone, see what a move-out clean does not include.
Photograph everything
When you finish, take dated photos of each room, including the inside of the oven, fridge, and cabinets, the bathrooms, and the floors. Photos do not guarantee anything, but they give you a record of the condition you left.
What a cleaning checklist cannot do
A checklist does not guarantee that your deposit will be returned in full, and it cannot change what your lease says. In Texas, whether you owe anything depends on the statute, the lease, and the condition of the unit, including the difference between normal wear and tear and damage.
If you hire someone
If you want a company to do the move-out clean, ask for a written scope that matches your landlord's checklist, and ask what is excluded. Our questions to ask before hiring a move-out cleaner go through this. And if you want the full side-by-side checklist, see our deep cleaning checklist.
Want us to handle it? Request a quote and send us your landlord's checklist. We will tell you in writing what is included, what is an add-on, and what is not possible.