Deposits & inspections
What move-out cleaning costs, and what changes the number
The useful comparison is not cleaner versus doing it yourself. It is cleaner versus what a landlord charges to arrange one.
Move-out cleaning here starts around $200 for a small one-bed and $275 for a standard one-bedroom, rising with square footage and condition. A three-bedroom townhouse typically runs $395 to $500.
What drives the price
Square footage sets the floor and condition sets the rest. Two identical one-bedrooms can be a three-hour job and a six-hour job depending on the oven, the carpet, and whether anyone smoked in it.
- Heavy grease in the oven or hood
- Pet hair through carpet and vents
- Smoke residue on walls and ceilings
- A garage, basement or storage unit on the lease
- Belongings or trash still in the unit
What does not change it
- Weekends and evenings, same rate seven days a week
- Supplies and equipment, always included
- A return visit if the landlord flags something in scope
The comparison that matters
Landlords do not clean units at cost. They arrange a vendor, add coordination, and deduct the total. A cleaning deduction on a one-bedroom frequently lands well above what the same clean costs booked directly.
Against a deposit of a month's rent, a few hundred dollars to protect the whole amount is usually simple arithmetic.
General information for renters, not legal advice. Illinois references are to the Security Deposit Return Act (765 ILCS 710).
Related
- Illinois security deposit law, in plain EnglishWhat Illinois law requires of your landlord: the 30-day itemized statement, the five-or-more-units threshold, and what happens when they miss the deadline.
- The move-out timeline that keeps your depositA week-by-week sequence from notice to handover, including the one-day window most people get wrong.
Need a move-out clean booked?
Tell us the address, the unit size, and your walk-through date. You get a fixed quote back, not a callback to schedule a callback.