In New York, your security deposit is often a full month's rent. Losing part of it to cleaning charges stings, especially when most deductions come from the same handful of places. This checklist is built around what landlords and management companies actually look at during the walkthrough.
Print it, work through it room by room, or hand it to us and we'll take care of it.
Before you start
- Empty the apartment first. It's much faster and more thorough to clean an empty unit. Inside closets, cabinets, and every inch of floor become easy to reach.
- Read your lease. Some leases spell out what "clean" means at move-out. A few require professional cleaning.
- Take photos when you're done. Date-stamped photos of every room are your best protection if there's a dispute.
Kitchen
The kitchen is where most cleaning deductions happen.
- Clean inside the oven, including the racks and the door glass
- Degrease the stovetop, burners, knobs, and range hood
- Empty, defrost if needed, and wipe the inside of the refrigerator and freezer, including shelves and drawers
- Clean inside the microwave
- Wipe inside and outside every cabinet and drawer
- Scrub the sink and faucet
- Wipe the backsplash and countertops
- Sweep and mop the floor, including the edges and under the fridge if it's easy to move
Bathrooms
- Scrub the toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it
- Remove soap scum and hard-water buildup from the tub, shower walls, and doors
- Clean the tile and wipe grout lines
- Clean the sink, vanity, and inside the vanity cabinet
- Empty and wipe the medicine cabinet
- Clean the mirror and fixtures
- Dust the exhaust fan cover
- Mop the floor
Bedrooms and living areas
- Empty and wipe closet shelves, rods, and floors
- Hand-wipe baseboards
- Wipe doors, door frames, and handles
- Wipe light switches and outlet covers
- Dust window sills and reachable window tracks
- Spot-clean scuffs on walls (test gently first)
- Vacuum carpets and mop hard floors
Don't forget
- Radiators and radiator covers
- Light fixtures and ceiling fans
- The entry door, inside and out
- Any balcony, terrace, or private outdoor space
- Removing every last item, including things in the freezer and under the sink
What cleaning can and can't fix
A thorough move-out clean addresses the most common reasons for deposit deductions: dirty appliances, bathroom grime, dusty closets, and dirty floors. It can't fix damage. Holes in walls, broken fixtures, burns in countertops, and heavily scuffed paint may still be deducted under your lease, depending on what counts as normal wear and tear.
Moving in? Clean before you unpack
Even if the last tenant cleaned, it's worth cleaning a new apartment before your furniture arrives. It's the only time the unit will be completely empty, so it's the easiest it will ever be to clean.
Let us handle it
Our move-in and move-out cleaning covers everything on this list. Inside appliances, cabinets, closets, baseboards, and bathrooms are all included. End-of-month dates fill up fast in NYC, so request your quote as soon as you know your move date.
We clean move-outs across the city, including Queens and the Bronx.
