Cleaning · Guides
How Clean Does a Move-Out Clean Need to Be to Get Your Deposit Back?
An insufficiently thorough move-out clean is one of the most common reasons tenants lose part of their deposit. Here's the general standard for move-out cleaning, and the spots landlords/agents check most closely.
What does “vacant possession” condition usually cover?
Generally, handover condition means the unit should be “move-in ready” clean: floors, toilet, and kitchen properly cleaned, no obvious stains or odours, and no wall damage caused by the tenant.
Kitchen and bathroom are where most deductions happen
Range hood grease, stove burn marks, and limescale/yellowing in the shower — these are the spots landlords/agents pay closest attention to during inspection. Treat them as priority areas in your move-out clean.
Check your lease for special clauses
Some leases specify “restoring to original condition” or particular cleaning requirements at move-out. Re-read your lease before moving out to avoid losing money over a requirement you missed.
Take photos as proof to avoid disputes
After finishing your move-out clean, photograph the unit's condition (especially kitchen, bathroom, and walls). You can show these when returning the keys, giving you evidence if a dispute comes up later.
Clean it yourself, or hire someone?
If you're short on time or the unit has stubborn grime (e.g. a range hood or shower that hasn't been cleaned in a long time), hiring a professional move-out clean can reduce the risk of losing deposit money over an incomplete job — and the cost may not be much more than the deposit at stake.
Our move-out cleaning follows the standard vacant-possession requirements. If your landlord/agent has specific requirements, let us know when booking and we'll do our best to accommodate.