The last week of a move is chaos. Boxes everywhere, utilities to transfer, a truck to return, and somewhere in there, the apartment or house you’re leaving still has to be cleaned well enough to get your security deposit back.
Cleaning is one of the most common reasons landlords hold back part of a deposit, and it’s the easiest one to prevent. Here’s a room-by-room checklist for renters moving out of homes and apartments in St. Pete, Largo, Pinellas Park, Indian Rocks Beach, and the rest of Pinellas County.
Start with your lease and your move-in photos
Before you clean anything, reread the move-out section of your lease. Some landlords require professional carpet cleaning or specify a “broom-clean” standard. Others list exactly what they’ll inspect.
Then pull up any photos or the inspection checklist from when you moved in. You’re generally responsible for returning the home in the condition you received it, minus normal wear and tear. If the oven was already dirty when you moved in, your photos are your proof.
The move-out cleaning checklist
Kitchen (where most deductions happen)
- Clean inside the oven, including the racks and the glass on the door
- Empty, defrost if needed, and wipe out the refrigerator and freezer, including drawers and door shelves. Leave it plugged in unless your landlord says otherwise
- Clean the stovetop, drip pans or burner grates, and the range hood and its filter
- Wipe the inside and outside of every cabinet and drawer, and remove shelf liners you added
- Clean the microwave inside and out, and the dishwasher’s door edges and filter
- Scrub the sink and faucet, and run the disposal
- Wipe the backsplash and the fronts of all appliances
Bathrooms
- Scrub the tub, shower walls, glass doors, and tracks. Built-up soap scum is a frequent deduction
- Clean grout and caulk lines, and treat any mildew. In a Florida bathroom there almost always is some
- Clean the toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it
- Wipe out the vanity, medicine cabinet, and drawers
- Clean mirrors, fixtures, light fixtures, and the exhaust fan cover
Every room
- Patch small nail holes if your lease allows it, or ask what your landlord prefers
- Wipe baseboards, door frames, doors, light switches, and outlet covers
- Dust ceiling fans, vents, and light fixtures
- Clean window sills and tracks, and blinds
- Wipe out closets, including shelves and the floor
- Vacuum carpets thoroughly and mop hard floors last, working toward the door
Outside and the details people forget
- Sweep the balcony, lanai, or patio, and clean slider tracks. In beach-area rentals in Indian Rocks Beach or Madeira Beach, sand collects here fast
- Replace the AC filter if you’re responsible for it
- Replace burnt-out bulbs
- Take every last item out: under the sinks, top of the fridge, the back of closets, the garage
- Empty and rinse trash and recycling bins
Take your own move-out photos
When the cleaning is done, walk through and photograph every room, the inside of the oven and fridge, and the bathrooms. Date them. If there’s a dispute later, photos are the strongest evidence you’ll have.
What Florida law says about your deposit
Under Florida law, once you move out your landlord has 15 days to return your deposit if they’re not making a claim against it. If they intend to keep any part of it, they have 30 days to send you written notice explaining why, and you then have 15 days to object in writing. Make sure your landlord has your forwarding address. The details are in Florida Statute 83.49. This isn’t legal advice, so if a dispute comes up, a local tenant resource or attorney can help.
Should you hire a move-out cleaner?
A thorough move-out clean on a two-bedroom apartment can take a full day, and that’s a day most people in the middle of a move don’t have. A professional move-out cleaning is usually less than what a landlord would charge to clean the unit themselves and deduct it from your deposit.
If you hire someone, make sure the company covers the inside of the oven, fridge, cabinets, and drawers. That’s what separates a real move-out clean from a regular one.
Tampa Bay Home Services does move-in and move-out cleaning for renters, homeowners, and landlords across St. Petersburg, Largo, Pinellas Park, Indian Rocks Beach, and Belleair. Our cleaners are background-checked, bonded W-2 employees, and our coverage is posted on our Proof of Coverage page. Get a quote and book your move-out clean for the day after the truck leaves.