How the move-out inspection works
At the start of a tenancy, your landlord should have done a condition inspection with you and written it up on a condition inspection report. At the end, they walk through the empty suite with the same report and compare the two. Anything that was clean on move-in and isn't clean now is where a cleaning deduction comes from.
Your landlord has to return your security deposit (and any pet deposit) within 15 days of the later of the day the tenancy ends and the day they receive your forwarding address in writing. They can only keep part of it if you agree in writing or if they apply for dispute resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch. You can read the rules on the BC government's ending-a-tenancy page.
The checklist, room by room
Kitchen
- Inside the oven, racks and door glass degreased
- Stovetop, knobs and drip pans or burner area
- Range hood: the front, underneath and the filter
- Inside the fridge and freezer, including shelves, drawers and door seals
- Pull the fridge and stove out if you can, and clean the floor and sides behind them
- Dishwasher door, seals and filter; inside the microwave
- Inside and on top of every cabinet and drawer
- Sink, taps and backsplash, with limescale removed
Bathrooms
- Toilet inside and out, including the base and behind it
- Tub, shower walls and glass descaled; grout and caulking scrubbed
- Sink, taps, mirror and vanity, inside and out
- Exhaust fan cover dusted
Bedrooms, closets and living areas
- Closet shelves, rods and tracks
- Baseboards, door frames and the tops of doors
- Window sills, window tracks and interior glass
- Light switches, outlet covers and light fixtures
- Scuffs and marks wiped off walls where they will come off
- Floors vacuumed and mopped, especially where furniture stood
Everything else
- Heating vents and baseboard heaters dusted
- Balcony, patio or garage swept out
- Blinds dusted
- Every bit of garbage and every personal item gone
When to book the clean
After the last of your things are out, and before the final inspection. An empty suite is the only way the floor under the couch, closet interiors and the back of the fridge can actually be reached. If your inspection is on a Saturday morning, book the clean for the Friday.
Leave time for anything the cleaning won't fix. Nail holes, paint touch-ups, broken blinds and carpet shampooing are separate jobs. If you need them, get them done before the cleaners come so the dust and drips get cleaned up too.
Where tenants usually lose money
From what we see on move-outs across the Fraser Valley, the deductions landlords argue most are the oven, the range hood filter, the inside of the fridge and the bathroom glass. They are easy to point at during a walkthrough and hard to argue about once the keys are handed back. In Abbotsford and Chilliwack homes on well water, mineral scale on taps and shower glass is a common one: it looks like dirt to an inspector, and it needs a descaler, not more scrubbing.
Take dated photos of every room once the clean is done. If there's a dispute later, photos of an empty, clean suite are the best evidence you can have.
What a professional move-out clean costs
Our move-out cleans are flat-rate: $250 for a 1-bed, 1-bath suite, $295 for a 2-bed, 1-bath, and $380 for a 3-bed, 2-bath home, before GST. Everything on the checklist above is included. If the landlord flags something we cleaned, tell us within 24 hours and we'll come back to fix it free.
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See my price →Call (604) 751-6260Questions people ask
How clean does a rental have to be when I move out in BC?
The Residential Tenancy Act says "reasonably clean, and undamaged except for reasonable wear and tear." Landlords judge that against the move-in condition inspection report, so the cleaning should focus on the places that report covers: appliances, cabinets, bathrooms, floors, baseboards and windows.
How long does my landlord have to return my deposit in BC?
15 days from the later of the day the tenancy ends and the day the landlord gets your forwarding address in writing. To keep any of it they need your written agreement or an application for dispute resolution with the Residential Tenancy Branch.
Should I book the move-out clean before or after the movers?
After. The cleaners need an empty home to reach the floors, closets and the space behind the appliances. The day between the movers and the inspection is ideal.
Does a move-out clean include inside the oven and fridge?
Ours does. Inside all appliances, every cabinet, drawer and closet, the range hood filter, window tracks and baseboards are all included.
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