The Complete Move-In/Move-Out Cleaning Checklist

A move-out clean has one job: leaving the home ready for the next tenant. That's the standard your landlord walks in with at the final inspection, and it's the standard that gets security deposits back. Everyone at that walkthrough has expectations — and knowing them ahead of time is half the battle.

The Golden Rule: The Home Should Be Empty Your cleaner's biggest expectation is simple: a move-out clean happens in an *empty* home. Every cabinet gets cleaned inside and out, every closet shelf gets wiped, the fridge gets done inside and out — none of that is possible with your things still in the way. A "move-out clean" of a half-packed home is really just a regular clean with obstacles. Schedule the cleaning after the movers, not before.

What "Ready for the Next Tenant" Means More than a normal clean, top to bottom: inside and outside of every cabinet and drawer, the fridge and appliances inside and out, interior windows, closets down to the bare shelves. Here it is room by room:

Kitchen - Clean inside all cabinets and drawers - Degrease range hood and exhaust fan - Clean inside oven, stovetop, and microwave - Wipe down and sanitize countertops - Clean inside refrigerator and freezer (remove shelves and drawers) - Run a cleaning cycle on the dishwasher - Scrub sink and polish fixtures - Clean backsplash - Sweep and mop floors, including under appliances

Bathrooms - Scrub and sanitize toilet (inside, outside, base, and behind) - Clean shower/tub including walls, doors, and tracks - Remove all soap scum and mineral deposits - Clean mirrors - Wipe down vanity and cabinets (inside and out) - Clean exhaust fan - Scrub tile grout - Mop floors

All Rooms - Dust and wipe all surfaces - Clean inside closets (shelves, rods, floors) - Wipe down all light switches and outlet covers - Clean all window sills and tracks - Wash or wipe windows (interior) - Clean ceiling fans and light fixtures - Spot-clean scuffs and marks from walls - Clean baseboards - Vacuum carpets or mop hard floors - Check and clean all door handles

The Two Add-Ons People Don't Expect Two things routinely surprise people at move-out, so let's be upfront about both:

• Carpet washing is an add-on. Some homes have carpet, some don't — so steam-washing carpets isn't part of the base move-out clean. The base clean includes a thorough vacuum; if your lease requires professionally washed carpets (many SF leases do), agree on the carpet add-on with your cleaner up front.
• Walls: spot cleaning is included — repainting territory is not. Scuffs, fingerprints, the odd mark: that's spot cleaning, and it's covered. But if the walls have more than a reasonable amount of marking, here's the honest truth — that wall needs painting, not cleaning. Paying someone to scrub a wall the landlord is going to repaint anyway is money wasted. Full wall-and-ceiling washing exists as an add-on for the cases where it genuinely helps.

Often Forgotten - Garage floors and walls - Laundry room (clean inside washer and dryer, wipe surfaces) - Patio or balcony - Storage areas - Air vents and returns - Inside the fireplace (if applicable)

Pro Tip Book your move-out cleaning at least a week before your lease ends. This gives you time for a walkthrough and any touch-ups before the landlord inspection. And before you book, compare this list against the official move-in/out cleaning checklist — it spells out exactly what's included and what's an add-on, so you and your cleaner agree on the scope up front. For the full picture of how move-out cleaning works in San Francisco, see our move-out cleaning guide. On SanCrew you can compare move-in/out prices from independent cleaners who cover checklists like this one — every cleaner sets their own rate, so you see real prices up front.