What Landlords Look for When You Move Out of an Apartment

That Cleaning Girl · Apartment Cleaning

You cleaned the whole apartment, but did you clean the spots that actually get checked? A move-out walkthrough is usually quick, and inspectors tend to look at the same places every time. In Apartment Move-Out Cleaning Checklist for Getting Your Deposit Back we covered the full list. This guide focuses on the common inspection hot spots and how to handle them.

As always, leases vary, and every property has its own process. This is general advice to help you prepare, not a promise of any outcome. Ask your leasing office what they look for, and read the move-out section of your lease.

Normal wear and tear versus damage

Most leases separate normal wear and tear from damage or excess dirt. Faded paint, light carpet wear in walkways and small nail holes from pictures are often treated as normal. Grease on the cabinets, a dirty oven, soap scum in the tub and stains on the carpet may be treated as cleaning issues. Cleaning cannot fix damage, but it can help make sure dirt is not the problem. A few hours of work before the walkthrough is usually far easier than going back and forth with the office afterward.

The oven and stovetop

This is one of the first places many inspectors look. They open the oven door and check the racks, the bottom and the glass. They lift the drip pans or look under the grates. Clean the oven fully, either with the self-clean cycle if your oven has one and your lease allows it, or with a baking soda paste left overnight and scrubbed out the next day. Do not forget the drawer under the oven. It tends to collect crumbs, foil and the odd lost baking sheet. Pull it out, empty it and wipe it down along with the floor underneath it, then check the oven light and the knobs while you are there.

The fridge

Inspectors usually open the fridge and freezer. They are checking for food left behind, spills on the shelves, ice in the freezer and smells. Clean every shelf and drawer, wipe the gaskets around the door, and leave it clean and dry. Ask the office whether they want it left running or turned off with the door propped open.

Cabinets and drawers

Every kitchen and bathroom cabinet gets opened. Crumbs, sticky spots, old shelf liner and leftover items stand out. Pull out all liners unless they were there when you moved in, vacuum the crumbs and wipe every shelf, inside and out, including the cabinet doors and handles.

Bathrooms

In the bathroom, the tub and shower are the main focus. Soap scum, hard water buildup on the glass and fixtures, mildew in the caulk and hair in the drain are all common problems. Also check the toilet base and behind it, the exhaust fan cover, the mirror and inside the vanity. North Texas hard water can leave a stubborn film, so give yourself extra time for the shower door.

Floors and carpet

Inspectors look at carpet for stains and traffic marks, and at hard floors for sticky spots and dirt along the edges. Vacuum carpet thoroughly. Some leases require professional carpet cleaning when you move out, so read yours. Mop hard floors and pay attention to corners and along the baseboards, where dirt and hair gather.

Walls, blinds and windows

A quick look at the walls shows scuffs, marks and nail holes. Blinds are a frequent problem, because dust and grease build up on every slat. Window sills and tracks fill with dirt and pollen. Wipe the blinds slat by slat, clean the sills and vacuum the tracks. A pair of old socks over your hands, one damp and one dry, makes blinds go a lot faster than a spray bottle and a paper towel.

Inspectors also notice the small things that are easy to miss on moving day:

• Light fixtures with dead bugs inside.
• Ceiling fan blades coated in dust.
• Burned-out bulbs.
• Dirty air return vents.
• Trash or belongings left in closets, on the balcony or in storage.
• A dirty dryer lint trap or a washer with a musty smell.

Do your own walkthrough

Before you hand in the keys, walk through the apartment like an inspector would. Open every cabinet, the oven and the fridge. Run a finger along a blind and a baseboard. Take photos of everything. If you have time, ask for a pre-move-out inspection, since some properties offer one.

Fix what you can, clean what you can, and write down anything you could not get to so you can mention it. Being upfront about a worn spot or a stubborn stain is usually better than hoping it gets missed.

Renters from Cedar Hill to Waxahachie book us before their walkthroughs. For more about our small-space cleans, see our apartment cleaning services page. Next, we look at a different kind of check: the mid-lease inspection.