Move Out Cleaning Service That Protects Your Deposit
One free call books a same-week crew that cleans to the landlord's walkthrough list, so the deposit check comes back whole.
- Background-Checked Cleaning Pros
- Bonded & Insured Crews
- Free Quotes on One Call
Same-week slots in most metros. End-of-month books fast, so don't sit on it.
The Deposit Math Every Renter Should Do
Your security deposit is probably a month's rent. In the metros we cover, that's $1,200 to $2,500 sitting in your landlord's account. A professional move out cleaning service costs $150 to $350. So the real question isn't "should I pay for a clean". It's "do I want to risk fifteen hundred to save two fifty".
Here's the part renters learn the hard way. When a landlord deducts for cleaning, they don't shop around. They bill a turnover company at full rate and pass it through with padding on top. We've heard of $75 charged for one oven and $150 for a single bathroom. Deductions itemized off a deposit routinely beat what a crew you booked yourself would've charged. And you don't get to argue once the keys are gone.
Where HomeEck fits: we're a free referral line, not the crew. One call matches you with an insured local team that does end-of-lease work every week and can usually fit you in before the walkthrough. You'll hear a real price range on the phone, and the crew confirms it at the door.
What the Landlord Actually Checks at the Walkthrough
Property managers run the same loop in every unit. Crews that live on turnover work know that loop by heart, and they clean in the same order.
- The oven. First door they open, almost without fail. Burnt-on carbon reads as neglect, and it's the single most common cleaning deduction on itemized statements.
- The fridge. Shelves pulled and washed, door seals wiped, drip tray deodorized. A funky fridge smell can flag the whole kitchen.
- Bathroom grout and glass. Sanitized isn't enough here. It has to look clean, which means hard-water scale off the shower glass and grout back to its actual color.
- Baseboards and door frames. Beige baseboards tell a manager nobody ever cleaned low. Crews hand-wipe them room by room.
- Inside cabinets and drawers. Crumbs in one drawer can trigger a full "cabinet cleaning" line item at the landlord's rate.
- Walls and switch plates. Scuffs near light switches and hallway corners get spot-washed, not painted over.
- Floor edges and corners. The middle of the floor is always fine. Inspections happen at the edges.
Want this as a printable with dollar figures attached? Our move out cleaning checklist for renters shows what each skipped item typically costs you off the deposit.
Walkthrough on the calendar already?
Tell us the date and the unit size. We'll line up a crew that beats it, with the price settled up front.
The Three Jobs That Eat Deposits
Ask anyone who cleans rentals for a living and you'll get the same answer: the oven, the fridge, and the baseboards. Everything else is quick by comparison.
The oven is an hour of real work done right. Degreaser needs 15 to 20 minutes of dwell time before the carbon lets go, racks soak in the sink meanwhile, and the door glass gets scraped with a proper blade instead of scratched with a green pad. Nobody does all that at 9 pm the night before keys are due. Crews do it every day.
The fridge takes 30 to 45 minutes. Shelves and crisper drawers come out and get washed in the sink, seals get detailed with a cloth-wrapped butter knife, and the drip area gets deodorized. One tip worth money: leave the fridge running unless your landlord asks for a defrost, and if they do, start it 24 hours ahead so the crew isn't mopping meltwater.
Baseboards are pure patience. Figure 45 minutes of hand-wiping in an average two-bedroom. It's dull work, which is exactly why it gets skipped, and exactly why managers look there first when they want a reason to deduct.
Move Out Cleaning Cost by Home Size
These are the ranges crews in our network quote for empty or nearly empty units. Furnished places run higher because everything takes longer with stuff in the way.
| Unit size | Typical range | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Studio or 1BR apartment | $150 to $220 | Add $25 to $50 if the oven's rough |
| 2BR apartment or small house | $190 to $280 | Second bathroom adds real time |
| 3BR house | $250 to $350 | Garage sweep-out often quoted extra |
| Add-on: carpet steam clean | $30 to $70 per room | Some leases require a receipt |
| Add-on: interior windows | $5 to $10 each | Ask if sills and tracks are included |
Now weigh the DIY version. Figure 8 to 12 hours of scrubbing for a 2BR, plus $50 to $75 in supplies you'll never use again, all during the most exhausting week of your year. If the deposit's four figures and the movers come Thursday, $220 is cheap insurance.
Same-Week Scheduling Is the Whole Point
The clean is the last domino before keys change hands, so it can't slip. Crews in our network hold slots for end-of-lease work for exactly that reason. Call on a Monday and most metros can get you Thursday or Friday. Sometimes next-day.
The crunch is the last weekend of the month, when half the city's leases roll over at once. If yours ends on the 31st, call by the 25th. You'll get your pick of times instead of a rush fee.
What we'd tell a friend
Schedule the clean for the day after the moving truck leaves, then do the landlord walkthrough that same afternoon while everything's spotless. The gap between clean and inspection is where dust, and disputes, sneak back in.
Two related pages worth a look. If you're staying put and the place just needs a hard reset, that's a whole-home deep cleaning instead, and it's priced differently. And renters in smaller units can check apartment cleaning rates by size to see what a studio or 1BR turnover usually runs.
Move Out Cleaning Crews in These Metros
End-of-lease demand is heaviest in these four markets right now, and each city page gets into local pricing and timing.
- Columbus turnover cleaning for the August lease flip around campus and beyond
- End-of-lease cleaning help in Raleigh and Cary
- Pittsburgh crews who know row house move-outs
- San Antonio cleaning timed to PCS orders for military families
Leaving a rental somewhere else? The network covers 16 metros. Call and we'll check yours.
Move Out Cleaning Questions, Answered Straight
How much does a move out cleaning cost?
$150 to $350 for most rentals. A studio lands near the bottom of that range and a 3BR house near the top. Empty units cost less than furnished ones because crews move faster with nothing in the way. Oven and fridge interiors come standard in most end-of-lease quotes, but confirm it, since that's where cheap quotes hide their upcharges. Carpet steam cleaning is separate, usually $30 to $70 per room, and some leases require a receipt for it. You'll get a range on the phone before you book.
Will a professional clean really get my deposit back?
It protects the cleaning portion, which is one of the most common deduction categories landlords use. No crew can save a deposit from a broken blind or a hole in the wall, and normal wear can't be charged to you in most states anyway. But a documented professional clean takes the easiest deduction off the table, and it gives you a receipt to push back with if a charge shows up regardless. Photograph every room after the crew finishes. HUD's tenant rights pages are a solid primer on what a landlord can and can't withhold.
What do landlords check first at the walkthrough?
The oven, almost every time. It's the first appliance a property manager opens because it's the best proxy for how the whole unit was kept. The fridge comes next, then bathroom grout and the baseboards. Managers also run a hand along window sills and pull open a couple of drawers. And smell matters more than people expect. A unit that smells like smoke or pets earns a closer inspection everywhere else. Clean to that list and the walkthrough stays short.
Can I book a move out clean the same week?
Usually, yes. Crews in our network hold room for end-of-lease jobs because those dates can't move. Call early in the week and most metros can schedule within two to four days, sometimes next-day if a crew catches a cancellation. The exception is the last weekend of the month, which books out fast everywhere. If your lease ends on the 31st, call by the 25th and you'll have your pick of slots instead of paying a rush premium.
Should the apartment be empty before the crew arrives?
Empty is best. Crews clean faster and cheaper when they aren't working around boxes, and floors can't be finished under furniture. Book the clean for the day after the movers if you can. If your schedule overlaps, at least clear the kitchen and bathrooms first, since that's where the hours go. Leave the utilities on too. Crews need hot water for degreasing and lights to catch what they'd otherwise miss, and a unit with no power can't be cleaned properly.
Keys Due Soon? Get the Clean on the Books
One free call locks in a vetted crew before the end-of-month rush, with a real price range before you commit. Your deposit's worth two minutes.
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