Room-by-Room Checklists for the Ultimate End-of-Lease Cleaning

By the time you’re all packed up and ready to move out of your rental home, you would have checked off a whole lot of pending tasks that led you to this – the very last thing on the list, and one of the most important things that will help you get your bond back with no problems – End of Lease Cleaning! 

As you may know, most lease agreements state that the house be returned to the owner in the same condition that it was given to the renter. This, in other words, means you have to clean every room, wall-to-wall, from top to bottom. Unfortunately, fairness in these situations can sometimes take a hit with the landowner expecting a truly pristine space even if that wasn’t the case when you first moved in. Of course, if you are like most renters who want to know the best way to get your bond back, this is it; a thorough move out clean is necessary and, for that, you will need an end of lease cleaning checklist.

Luckily, MaidForYou has created a move out cleaning checklist for every room of the house to make it easier for renters/movers to ensure that nothing is overlooked every step of the way. So, let's jump right into it! 

All Areas/Common Tasks

In order to avoid mentioning the same cleaning tasks repeatedly across each checklist, we have put together a list that includes common areas or things that need to be cleaned in almost all the rooms in the house (as part of your end of lease cleaning). Therefore, we advise do-it-yourselfers to refer to this checklist as they go about cleaning each room. 

Here is the checklist with common cleaning tasks for all or most areas of a home:

• Wipe electrical switchboards and switches
• Wipe baseboards
• Clean ceiling fans
• Clean light fixtures
• Dust mouldings
• Clean ceiling (remove cobwebs)
• Dust door frames and wipe down doors
• Wipe door knobs/door handles
• Dust air vents and HVAC units
• Dust interior walls
• Dust wall frames/wall decor
• Wipe furniture
• Clean mirrors
• Wipe/wash window treatments
• Wash windows inside and outside
• Remove debris from window tracks
• Wipe window ledges
• Vacuum carpets/rugs
• Vacuum/sweep and mop floors
• Remove garbage and wash garbage bins

Living Room

When you live in a rented home, all the pre-existing furniture and electronic devices get used, some more than others. Particularly in the living where household members like to gather or relax in front of the television, you will find that things like remotes, chairs, and couches are not nearly as clean as they were when you first moved in.

With that in mind, here is your end of lease cleaning checklist for the living room:

• Dust curios/artwork/decorative items
• Clean TV showcase/unit
• Dust TV and other electronic screens
• Wipe cabinet and drawer fronts
• Clean inside cabinets and drawers
• Wipe remotes
• Clean glass tables/doors
• Vacuum couches/sofas
• Remove stains (if any) from couches and sofas
• Vacuum upholstered furniture

Kitchen

Along with bathrooms, the kitchen tends to get rather messy with spills, splatters, grease stains, and the likes. It will therefore require a little more time and attention to ensure that there are no missed spots for a particularly nitpicky houseowner. 

Use the checklist below to get the kitchen clean and shiny again:

• Clean all dirty dishes
• Run an empty, hot cycle to clean the dishwasher
• Clean inside and outside of kitchen cabinets and drawers (cabinet tops included)
• Clean sink, faucet, and adjacent surfaces
• Clean and remove grease from counters
• Clear out refrigerator and clean inside and outside
• Clean inside microwave and wipe down exterior
• Wipe kitchen exteriors of appliances (coffee maker, kettle, air fryer, etc)
• Clean all flat surfaces (small counters, shelves, tables, etc)
• Clean and remove stains from backsplash
• Clean oven interior and exterior
• Clean stove top (hood and chimney included) 
• Clear and refresh garbage disposal

Dining Room

Considering this is where most people eat meals, the dining room is prone to food and beverage spills. Crumbs can also get tracked or blown around leaving more of a mess to clean up. 

Use the dining room checklist below during your end of lease cleaning process:

• Wipe and remove stains from buffet table
• Clean showcase cabinets
• Clean glass surfaces
• Wipe dining table and chairs
• Dust decor
• Wipe wall shelves and hooks 
• Clean other storage units for dishware/crockery

Bathrooms

With use, bathrooms develop grime and buildup that can be troublesome to remove if not cleaned regularly. Either way, when it comes to end of lease cleaning, you need to be thorough and understanding of the fact that the house owner expects to see a clean and sanitary bathroom during their inspection. 

To make sure the space passes the inspection, use the bathroom cleaning checklist below for a top to bottom clean:

• Clear out bottles, containers, and all personally items
• Wash window and window ledge
• Clean inside and outside of medicine cabinet
• Wipe bathroom vanity; clean inside drawers (if any)
• Clean mirror
• Clean sink and faucet
• Scrub bathtub interior and exterior
• Clean shower drain
• Scrub and wash bathroom tiles
• Clean interior and exterior of toilet bowl including the seat and lid
• Wipe down flush tank and handle/button
• Clean shower area
• Wash and remove stains from shower curtain/glass door
• Wipe all bathroom fixtures and fittings (showerhead, faucets, wall-mounted hooks, shelves, etc)
• Clean tile grout
• Scrub and clean floor

Bedrooms

While most of the things to clean in the bedroom will be mentioned in the checklist for “all areas/common tasks”, there are a few specific areas and pieces of furniture that must not be overlooked.

Here is the end of lease bedroom cleaning checklist:

• Remove all personal items
• Dust tops of large furniture (cupboards, bookshelves, etc)
• Vacuum mattress and clean pillows
• Dust bed frame
• Clean underneath bed
• Dust books and bookshelf
• Clean bedside table (inside drawers included)
• Clean nightstand
• Clean cupboard/closet inside and outside
• Dust dresser and clean inside drawers
• Wipe lamps and other light fixtures
• Wipe down desk and chair

Laundry Room

If there is a laundry room inside the house, there will likely be spills and buildup to remove, along with cleaning the large appliances, of course.

Take a look at the specific areas/things to focus on when cleaning the laundry room:

• Clean interior and exterior of washer and dryer
• Clean hamper/baskets
• Clean shelves and counters
• Remove soap stains/spills in the room
• Clean inside and exterior of sink
• Clean inside cabinets/drawers and wipe down fronts

Other Rooms/Areas

Passages:

• Dust wall hangings/artwork
• Wipe console tables
• Vacuum carpets/rugs
• Dust light fixtures

Balcony/Porch:

• Remove dust and dirt from balustrade
• Dust ceiling and remove cobwebs
• Dust light fixtures and wall-mounted fixtures
• Vacuum/sweep and mop floor

Garage:

• Hose down garage door
• Remove cobwebs and dust walls
• Clean and remove grease from floor

To end, we must note that all homes and apartments are unique, and therefore, some areas, rooms, or things mentioned in the checklists above may not apply to every rented property. With that said, if you are looking for a comprehensive end of lease cleaning checklist, everything you need to know is right here! When you’ve taken care of all the necessary cleaning tasks at the end of your lease, you will have no problems in getting your bond back before you move to your next home!