Move-out cleaning checklist: what to clean before you hand over the keys

Moving out means one last, thorough clean. The places people forget — behind the fridge, inside the oven, the floor drain — are exactly the ones the next tenant or the landlord notices first.

The short answer: empty the home first, then clean from top to bottom and from the back of the home towards the front door. Give the kitchen and the bathroom the most time, and photograph the result before you hand over the keys.

Check your tenancy agreement or your landlord’s instructions for what’s expected, then work through this move-out cleaning checklist room by room.

Start with a plan

Book more time than you think: a move-out clean takes much longer than a weekly clean, because you also clean the places that are normally hidden. Don’t leave it for the last evening before the handover.

Clean once the furniture and boxes are out, so you can reach every corner. Gather your supplies first, so the work doesn’t stop for a trip to the shop:

• All-purpose cleaner and washing-up liquid.
• A limescale remover for the bathroom and the kitchen tap.
• Oven cleaner, or baking soda and water as a gentler option.
• Microfibre cloths, a non-scratch sponge and an old toothbrush for grout and corners.
• A window squeegee, a bucket, a mop and a vacuum cleaner with a crevice nozzle.
• Rubber gloves, rubbish bags and a sturdy step stool.

Work from top to bottom and from the back of the home towards the door, so dust and dirt fall on surfaces you haven’t cleaned yet. Start the slow jobs first: switch off the fridge to defrost and put the oven trays to soak.

Test strong products on a hidden spot and never mix cleaning products — some combinations, such as chlorine-based cleaners and acids, can release harmful gases.

Kitchen

The kitchen usually takes the longest, so start it early — both the oven and the fridge need waiting time.

• Switch off, defrost and clean the fridge and freezer, including the seals and drawers, and leave the doors ajar so no smell or mould forms — unless your landlord asks you to leave it running.
• Clean the oven, the oven trays, the racks and the glass in the oven door, and wipe the hob.
• Wash the cooker hood and its grease filter; a metal filter usually comes clean after soaking in hot water with washing-up liquid.
• Wipe the cupboards and drawers inside and out, including the tops of the wall cupboards.
• Pull out appliances that can be moved and clean behind and under them.
• Descale the sink and the tap, and wipe out the cupboard under the sink.
• If the home has a dishwasher, clean its filter and seals and run it empty.
• Wipe the splashback, the worktops and the light in the cooker hood.

Baking soda mixed with a little water makes a paste that loosens burnt-on grime in the oven when you let it sit for a while. Wipe off all the residue afterwards.

Bathroom and toilet

The bathroom is where limescale, hair and damp collect, and many landlords check it closely. Keep the room well ventilated while you work.

• Clean the floor drain, remove hair from its trap and rinse the drain with plenty of water.
• Remove limescale from the shower walls, tiles and grout, and from the shower head and hose.
• Clean the toilet thoroughly, including under the rim, the base and behind it.
• Wipe the mirror, the cabinets inside and out, and the ventilation valve — without turning its setting.
• Clean the washbasin, its overflow hole and the pipe underneath.
• Clean the floor where a washing machine stood.
• Wipe the walls at splash height and both sides of the bathroom door.

Dark marks in silicone seams don’t always come off with cleaning. Clean them as well as you can and tell the landlord about any stains that stay, rather than trying to reseal the seams yourself.

Every room

Once the kitchen and bathroom are done, the rest of the home goes quickly if you repeat the same order in every room.

• Dust from the top down: lamps, shelves, tops of doors and cupboards, and cobwebs in the ceiling corners.
• Wash the windows and windowsills. If the windows open, check whether your lease expects you to wash between the panes too.
• Wipe the doors, door frames, door handles and light switches.
• Clean the skirting boards and radiators, including behind them.
• Wipe the wardrobes and built-in cupboards inside, and remove any hangers or shelf paper you added.
• Remove marks from the walls gently with a damp cloth, testing on a hidden spot first.
• Vacuum and wash the floors last, starting from the far corner and finishing at the front door.

Don’t forget the hallway: wipe the coat rack, the shoe shelf and both sides of the front door.

Balcony, sauna and storage

These places often get left until the very end — or forgotten altogether — but they are part of the home you’re handing over.

• Balcony: take away your plants and furniture, sweep the floor and wipe the railing. If the balcony is glazed, wash the glass. Avoid pouring water on the floor so it doesn’t drip onto the balcony below.
• Sauna: wash the benches with water and a mild cleaner suitable for wood, and leave the door open so the wood dries.
• Storage unit: empty your basement or attic storage, sweep it and leave it locked or unlocked as the landlord instructs.
• Shared spaces: collect anything you’ve left in the bike storage, the laundry room or the drying room.
• Rubbish: take large items to the right recycling point rather than leaving them in the building’s waste shelter.

Easy-to-miss spots

Before you pack away the cleaning gear, walk through the home once more with this list — these details are easy to overlook after hours of cleaning.

• Tops of the fridge, the cupboards and the door frames.
• Inside the light fittings and the cooker hood lamp.
• Behind the toilet and under the washbasin.
• The shower head, the tap aerators and the drain covers.
• Window frames, hinges and the gaps between the panes.
• Behind the radiators and between their fins.
• Light switches, sockets and the front door.

Check in daylight if you can — streaks and dust are much easier to see than under evening lamps.

Before you hand over the keys

Cleaning and repairs are different things. Normal wear from everyday living is usually treated differently from damage, but where the line goes depends on your lease. Ask the landlord before you fill holes or touch up paint — a patch that doesn’t match can look worse than the original mark.

When the cleaning is done, finish with a short handover routine:

• Take photos or a video of every room, including the oven, the fridge, the bathroom and the balcony.
• Agree on a joint inspection with the landlord if you can, and fix anything they point out on the spot.
• Remove your own hooks, shelves and fittings if the landlord asks you to, and mention any holes left behind.
• Return every key you received; the lease or handover note usually records how many.
• Leave the home empty: no food, cleaning products or furniture, unless agreed otherwise.
• Close the windows, leave the heating as it was and switch off the lights.

If the home isn’t left in the agreed condition, the landlord may claim cleaning or repair costs, for example from the security deposit. Check your lease and ask the landlord if anything is unclear. Keep your photos and inspection notes until the deposit has been returned.

When to book a professional move-out clean

Doing it yourself works well when you have time and energy left after the move. A professional move-out clean is worth considering if you’re moving far away, the move and the handover fall on the same day, or the home is large.

If you book one, ask what’s included — for example the oven, the windows, the balcony and the sauna — and agree on a time when the home is already empty. Ask, too, what happens if the landlord points out something that was missed.

Summary

Plan enough time, work from top to bottom and go through the kitchen, the bathroom and every room with a checklist. Don’t forget the balcony, the sauna and the storage unit, and check your lease for what’s expected. When you’re done, take photos of the clean home — they’re useful if questions come up after the handover.