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The move-out cleaning checklist landlords actually use
Every item below is something a Machesney Park landlord or property manager can reasonably check on a walk-through. Work top to bottom, leave the floors for last, and photograph everything before you hand the keys over.
A move-out cleaning checklist covers the kitchen appliances, inside all cabinets, bathrooms including grout and exhaust fans, baseboards, window tracks, blinds, light fixtures, and floors. Kitchens and bathrooms account for most deposit deductions, so clean those first and most carefully.
Room by room
Kitchen
This is where most deposit money is lost. Budget half your total time here.
- Oven interior, including the racks and the glass door
- Stovetop, burner pans, and the vent hood filter
- Refrigerator inside: shelves, drawers, door seals, and underneath
- Pull the fridge and stove out and clean the floor behind them
- Every cabinet and drawer, inside and out, including the tops
- Sink, faucet, and garbage disposal splash guard
- Dishwasher interior and the filter at the bottom
- Counters, backsplash, and the caulk line where they meet
Bathrooms
Second most common deposit deduction, usually for grout and exhaust fans.
- Tub and shower, including the grout and the door track
- Toilet, including the base and behind the seat hinges
- Vanity, sink, faucet, and inside the cabinet
- Mirror and any medicine cabinet, inside and out
- Exhaust fan cover, removed and washed
- Floor, including behind the toilet
Bedrooms and living areas
- Closet shelves, rods, and floors
- Baseboards along every wall
- Window sills, tracks, and interior glass
- Blinds, slat by slat
- Ceiling fan blades and light fixtures
- Light switch plates and outlet covers
- Door frames and the tops of doors
- Vents and returns
Floors
- Vacuum carpet, including the edges against the baseboard
- Mop hard floors after everything above is done, never before
- Corners and under where furniture sat
Easy to forget
- Washer and dryer, inside the drum and the lint trap
- Patio, balcony, or entry step
- Garage or storage unit if the lease includes it
- Mailbox
- Replace burnt-out bulbs and missing outlet covers
- Take every nail and screw out and patch the holes
Timing
The move-out timeline
Most deposit problems are timing problems, not cleaning problems. The clean has to happen after the furniture is out and before the walk-through, and that window is usually one day wide.
3 to 4 weeks out
- Give written notice if your lease requires it, and keep a copy
- Re-read the lease for the exact cleaning standard and what counts as damage
- Book movers and a truck, end of month goes first
- Photograph the unit as it is now, before you start packing
2 weeks out
- Book the move-out clean for the day after your furniture is gone
- Schedule utility shutoff for the day after your walk-through, not before
- Start packing anything you will not use, so surfaces open up
- Order any replacement bulbs, outlet covers, or filters you will need
1 week out
- Confirm the walk-through date and time in writing with your landlord
- Use up or give away food so the fridge can be emptied and defrosted
- Patch nail holes and touch up paint, it needs time to dry
- Gather every key, fob, garage remote, and mail key in one place
Moving day
- Get everything out, including the garage, storage unit, and balcony
- Defrost and empty the fridge, prop the door open
- Take the trash with you, do not leave it in the dumpster area
- Walk each room once with the lights on, looking for what you missed
After the clean, before handover
- Photograph every room, appliance interior, and the floors
- Do the walk-through in person if you can
- Hand over every key and get written confirmation of the date
- Give your forwarding address in writing so the deposit can reach you
Where the money goes
Five things deposits get withheld over
The oven
It is the single most cited item on move-out inspections and the one people most often decide to skip.
Carpet
Normal wear is not chargeable in Illinois, but stains and pet damage are. Photograph the carpet the day you leave.
Nail holes and wall marks
Patched and painted is fine. Patched and not painted usually still gets charged.
Trash left behind
Anything left in the unit or dumpster area on the last day tends to come back as a haul-away fee.
Keys and fobs
Missing garage remotes, mail keys, and fobs are billed at replacement cost, not a token fee.
Under the Illinois Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710), a landlord has 30 days from move-out to send an itemized statement of damage, or 45 days to return the full deposit if they send no statement. Public Act 103-0224, effective 2024-01-01, removed the old threshold that used to exempt small landlords, so this now applies to every residential landlord in Illinois, down to the owner of a single duplex. Read the full breakdown.
General information for renters, not legal advice. A lease or local ordinance can add to these minimums; check both for the rules that apply to you.
Would rather not do all that?
A full move-out clean covers every item on this page. Send us the unit size and your walk-through date and you get a fixed quote back.