Move-out cleans are some of the most profitable jobs in residential cleaning. Notice I said *can be* — because without a checklist and proper pricing, they're just exhausting. Below you've got the full room-by-room checklist, a free starter table to copy, and straight talk on pricing move-outs by flat rate versus per square foot — with two real examples.
The Room-by-Room Move-Out Cleaning Checklist
Kitchen
- Clean inside and outside of all cabinets and drawers
- Degrease range hood and clean stovetop
- Clean oven interior (including racks)
- Clean refrigerator interior and exterior, including coils area
- Descale sink and polish faucet
- Wipe countertops and backsplash
- Clean light fixtures and switch plates
- Vacuum and mop floors, including under appliances if accessible
- Remove all trash
Bathrooms
- Scrub toilet inside, outside, and base
- Descale tub, shower, and shower door/track
- Clean mirrors and vanity
- Clean sink and polish fixtures
- Wipe cabinet and drawer interiors
- Touch up tile grout
- Mop floors, including behind toilet
- Dust exhaust fan cover
Bedrooms
- Clean closet interiors, shelving, and rods
- Wipe baseboards, window sills, and window tracks
- Dust ceiling fan and light fixtures
- Wipe light switches, outlets, and door handles
- Vacuum carpet edges and corners; spot-treat stains
- Mop hard floors
Living Areas, Hallways, and Entry
- Wipe baseboards throughout
- Spot-clean doors and door frames
- Dust blinds and window sills
- Clean light fixtures
- Wipe stair railings and balusters
- Vacuum and mop all floors, including closets
- Clean fireplace exterior if applicable
Final Walkthrough (Don't Skip This)
- Turn on every light and check every fixture
- Open every cabinet, closet, and drawer
- Take photo documentation of every room
- Remove all trash and personal items
- Set thermostat to the manager's requested setting
- Leave keys and a completion note as instructed
Free Starter Move-Out Checklist Table
Copy this into a doc or spreadsheet and check things off on-site. And photograph each room when you finish it — future you will thank present you if there's ever a dispute.
| Room | Task | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen | Cabinets in/out, oven, fridge, hood, sink, floors | [ ] |
| Bathroom(s) | Toilet, tub/shower, mirrors, vanity, floors, fan | [ ] |
| Bedrooms | Closets, baseboards, sills, fan, floors | [ ] |
| Living areas | Baseboards, doors, blinds, fixtures, floors | [ ] |
| Whole unit | Windows/tracks, switches, trash out | [ ] |
| Final | Walkthrough + photos of every room | [ ] |
How to Price a Move-Out Clean: Flat Rate vs Per Square Foot
Per-square-foot pricing is the fastest way to quote by phone: $0.20–$0.35 per sq ft is the typical US range. Why higher than standard cleans? The unit's empty, sure — but you're inside every cabinet and appliance, to landlord-inspection standards. That's real labor.
Flat-rate pricing comes from a walkthrough or a solid phone intake. Estimate your cleaner-hours, multiply by your true hourly cost, add supplies and travel, apply margin. More accurate — but slower to put together.
What I'd actually do: build every quote from true-cost math first, then sanity-check it against the per-sqft market range. Say your true-cost price lands at $0.39/sq ft in a $0.25 market. Either your costs are fat or the job genuinely needs premium pricing for heavy soil — either way, now you know *why*. That's the difference between pricing and guessing.
Worked Example 1: 900 Sq Ft Apartment — $349
Scenario: 2-bed apartment, average soil, oven and fridge included. Two cleaners, 2.5 hours each.
| Line Item | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | 5 hrs × $45/hr | $225 |
| Supplies | $18 | |
| Travel | $15 | |
| Direct cost | $258 | |
| 25% profit margin | $258 ÷ 0.75 | $349 |
Per-sqft check: $349 ÷ 900 = $0.39/sq ft. A touch above typical range — justified, because you're doing oven and fridge interiors. If they push back on price, offer a $299 version *without* appliance interiors. That's negotiating. Blind discounting is just giving money away.
Worked Example 2: 2,200 Sq Ft House — $779
Scenario: 4-bed house, moderate soil, full move-out scope. Three cleaners, 4 hours each.
| Line Item | Math | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Labor | 12 hrs × $45/hr | $540 |
| Supplies | $30 | |
| Travel | $20 | |
| Direct cost | $590 | |
| 25% profit margin | $590 ÷ 0.75 | $779 |
Per-sqft check: $779 ÷ 2,200 = $0.35/sq ft — right in the pocket for a house move-out. Fun fact: bigger homes get *more* efficient per foot (fewer kitchens and bathrooms per square foot), which is why the per-foot number drops while the total climbs.
Pricing Mistakes Cleaners Make on Move-Outs
1. Pricing it like a standard clean. A move-out takes 30–50% longer than a standard clean of the same size. Every cabinet. Every appliance. Landlord-grade detail. It's its own job type — price it like one.
2. Fuzzy appliance scope. Decide before you quote: are oven and fridge interiors included, or $50–$75 add-ons each? Get it in writing on the quote. 'I thought the oven was included' is the single most common move-out fight in the business. Don't learn this one the hard way.
3. Quoting blind. One hoarder-level unit quoted by phone can wipe out a week's profit. Anything over 1,500 sq ft? Photos or a walkthrough before you commit to a number. No exceptions.
4. A guarantee with no margin behind it. A 24-hour touch-up promise wins you property-manager accounts — I've seen it happen. But only if your margin can swallow the occasional free return trip. Build it into the price from day one.
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Download the Free PackFrequently Asked Questions
What is included in a move-out clean?
Everything in a deep clean, plus the stuff landlords actually inspect: inside all cabinets and drawers, oven and fridge interiors, baseboards, window tracks, closet interiors. And confirm the appliance scope in writing before you start — it's dispute #1 in this business, and it's totally preventable.
How much does a move-out clean cost?
Most US markets: $200–$400 for apartments, $400–$800 for houses — scales with size and how trashed the place is. Per square foot, figure $0.20–$0.35. Heavy soil, appliance interiors, and carpet cleaning (almost always separate) push it higher.
How long does a move-out clean take?
Two cleaners: 2–4 hours for a small apartment, 4–8 for a house. Move-outs run 30–50% longer than a standard clean of the same size — cabinet interiors, appliances, detail work. Estimate from the checklist, not from your standard-clean times. Different animal.
Should I charge extra for inside the oven and fridge?
Pick your poison: bake appliance interiors into the flat rate, or itemize them at $50–$75 each. Both work fine. What doesn't work? Leaving it vague and negotiating on-site while the customer watches you squirm. Decide before you quote.
Do move-out cleans need to be scheduled around key handover?
Absolutely — and nail down the logistics. Who opens the unit? What time is it empty? Where do the keys go after? And put a trip fee in your terms ($50 is standard) for lockouts or no-access arrivals. Property managers actually respect the trip fee — it keeps everyone's schedule honest.