Apartment Move-Out Cleaning: A Checklist for Smaller Spaces

That Cleaning Girl · Move-In / Move-Out

Apartments are smaller than houses, but a move-out clean can still take longer than you think. Kitchens are compact and well used, bathrooms often lack good ventilation, and you are carrying supplies up and down the stairs and across a parking lot. Renters came up in Move-Out Cleaning for Renters vs. Homeowners: What's Different. Here is a checklist built for apartment life.

As always, check your lease and any move-out checklist from the leasing office first. Apartment communities often have their own standards.

Get your supplies ready before the boxes go

Pack your cleaning supplies last, or keep them in your car. In an apartment, you may not have a garage or a big closet to stash things. A single bucket or caddy with the basics is easiest to carry:

• All-purpose cleaner, glass cleaner and a bathroom descaler.
• Degreaser for the kitchen.
• Microfiber cloths, a non-scratch sponge and an old toothbrush.
• Paper towels, trash bags and gloves.
• A vacuum and a mop, or a borrowed one.

The kitchen

Apartment kitchens see a lot of cooking in a small space, so grease builds up fast.

• Inside the oven and the drawer under it.
• Stovetop, drip pans and knobs.
• The microwave inside, outside and the vent filter if it is over the stove.
• Inside and outside the fridge and freezer.
• Inside every cabinet and drawer.
• Dishwasher filter and door edges.
• Sink, disposal flap and faucet.
• Counters and backsplash.

The bathroom

Small apartment bathrooms often have weak exhaust fans, so mildew and soap scum show up fast. Scrub the tub and shower, descale the fixtures, clean the toilet inside and out, wipe the vanity inside and out and clean the mirror. Dust the exhaust fan cover. If there is mildew in the caulk, a cleaner made for mold and mildew can help, with the door open and the fan running.

Living room, bedrooms and closets

• Dust ceiling fans and light fixtures.
• Wipe window sills and vacuum tracks.
• Dust the blinds, which apartment inspections often check.
• Wipe baseboards, doors and light switches.
• Clean closet shelves and floors.
• Spot-clean walls gently.

Balcony or patio

If you have a balcony or patio, sweep it, wipe the railing and clear away anything you stored out there. Pollen from cedar and oak in spring and dust in summer collect fast in North Texas, so a final sweep the day you leave is worth it. Check the sliding door track, which fills with grit and bugs, and wipe the glass inside and out.

Floors last

Vacuum carpet slowly, starting at the far end of the apartment and backing out toward the front door. Mop hard floors in the kitchen, bath and entry. Many apartments have their own process for carpet between tenants, so check the lease to see what is expected from you.

Little things apartments check

• Light bulbs working.
• Smoke detectors in place.
• Blinds intact and clean.
• Nothing left in the storage closet or on the balcony.
• Trash taken to the dumpster, not left by the door.
• Keys, fobs, mailbox key and any parking tags returned.
• The A/C filter changed, if your lease puts that on you.

Apartment communities around Arlington and Grand Prairie often move quickly between residents, so walkthroughs can happen soon after you leave.

Even a one-bedroom apartment can take a good chunk of a day if the oven and bathroom need serious work. Schedule the clean after the movers and leave time before the lease ends. If you are moving on a weekend, remember the leasing office may have limited hours for key returns.

Stairs and shared spaces are part of an apartment move too. You will be carrying boxes through a breezeway or hallway that your neighbors use every day. Do a quick sweep of your landing and the stairs right outside your door when the move is over, especially if packing peanuts or mud ended up there.

Parking is the other apartment wrinkle. Movers need the spot closest to your stairs, and so does your cleaner if they are hauling a vacuum and a bucket up to the third floor. Ask the office about loading zones or move-out rules, like quiet hours or which stairwell to use.

Last, think about the neighbors. Running a vacuum at eleven at night after a long day of moving will not win you any friends. Plan the loud jobs for daytime and save the quiet ones, like wiping cabinets, for the evening.

Small space, same detail

A clean apartment shows care, and it makes the move-out inspection easy. Work top to bottom, back to front and leave floors for last. For more about our empty-home cleans, see our move-out cleaning services.