The fastest way to lose part of your damage deposit is to leave cleaning to the last hour of moving day. In British Columbia, cleaning the unit when you move out is the tenant’s job, and if the place isn’t left clean, the cost of cleaning it can come out of your deposit. The good news is that the province spells out what tenants are expected to clean, so you can work through it room by room and hand back the keys with confidence.
A clean unit won’t protect you from charges for real damage, and normal wear and tear isn’t your responsibility anyway. What a thorough move out clean does is take cleanliness off the table, so the only thing your landlord can assess is the actual condition of the home. This checklist is built around BC’s rules and the spots landlords most often look at during the final inspection.
Quick Answer: To protect your damage deposit in BC, clean the stove top, elements, and oven, defrost and clean the fridge, wash scuff marks and fingerprints off walls, clean inside windows, window tracks, and blinds, scrub bathrooms and kitchens, and vacuum and mop every floor. If you’ve lived there a year or more, or had pets that weren’t caged, plan to have the carpets steam cleaned or shampooed. Then attend the move out inspection and give your landlord your forwarding address in writing.
Key Takeaways
- Cleaning is the tenant’s responsibility in BC. If the unit isn’t left clean, you can be charged for the cleaning.
- Wear and tear isn’t on you. Natural aging of the unit is not the tenant’s responsibility. Dirt, grease, and scuffs are.
- Appliances, windows, and walls are specifically named. BC’s tenancy guideline lists the oven, fridge, inside windows and tracks, and wall scuffs as tenant cleaning tasks.
- Carpets have their own rule. After a tenancy of one year, or if you had uncaged pets, you may be expected to steam clean or shampoo them.
- Don’t skip the inspection. Missing the move out condition inspection can cost you the right to get your damage or pet deposit back.
This checklist is based on rules in British Columbia. If you rent in Alberta, Ontario, or Quebec, check your province’s tenancy rules, as deposits and cleaning expectations differ.
What Landlords Check at Move Out
During the move out condition inspection, your landlord compares the unit with the move in condition report. They’ll usually look closely at the kitchen appliances, bathrooms, floors and carpets, walls, windows, and inside cabinets and closets. Anything dirty that wasn’t dirty at move in is where cleaning charges come from. If you’d rather hand this job to professionals, our guide to what to expect from a move out cleaning service explains what’s typically included.
[ADD: the three or four spots Sweepy Maids’ crews most often find missed in DIY move out cleans. Real observations from your team will make this checklist far more useful than general advice.]
What Counts as Cleaning vs Wear and Tear
BC’s Residential Tenancy Branch describes reasonable wear and tear as natural deterioration from aging and other natural forces. Faded paint, light carpet wear in walkways, and minor scuffs from normal living fall into that category. Grease on the stove, soap scum in the shower, dirty window tracks, and a fridge full of crumbs do not. Those are cleaning issues, and they’re the ones a good move out clean fixes.
Your Responsibility vs Not Your Responsibility: Side by Side
| What You’re Comparing | Tenant’s Cleaning Responsibility | Not the Tenant’s Responsibility |
| Kitchen appliances | Clean stove top, elements, and oven; defrost and clean fridge | Appliances wearing out with age |
| Walls | Wash off scuff marks and fingerprints | Filling nail holes if you followed the landlord’s reasonable hanging instructions |
| Windows | Clean inside windows and tracks | Exterior window cleaning on most buildings [VERIFY with your lease] |
| Window coverings | Leave internal blinds and coverings clean | Natural fading from sunlight |
| Carpets | Steam clean or shampoo after a one year tenancy or if you had uncaged pets | Normal wear in walkways |
| General condition | Leave the unit clean | Reasonable wear and tear |
READ MORE: What to Expect From a Move Out Cleaning Service in Vancouver
Your Room by Room Move Out Cleaning Checklist
Work top to bottom in each room so dust and debris fall onto floors you’ll clean last. If it’s been a while since your last thorough clean, our room by room deep cleaning guide is a helpful companion to this list.
Kitchen
- Clean the stove top, elements or burners, drip pans, and the inside of the oven
- Defrost the freezer, then clean the inside and outside of the fridge
- Wipe inside and outside of all cabinets and drawers
- Clean the range hood and filter, microwave inside and out, and dishwasher exterior
- Scrub the sink, faucet, countertops, and backsplash
Bathrooms
- Scrub the toilet, including the base and behind it
- Clean the tub, shower, tiles, grout, and glass doors
- Wipe the sink, vanity, mirror, and inside cabinets and drawers
- Clean the exhaust fan cover and light fixtures
Bedrooms and living areas
- Wash scuff marks and fingerprints off walls, doors, and frames
- Wipe baseboards, light switches, and outlet covers
- Clean closets, shelves, and closet doors
- Clean inside windows, window sills, and window tracks
- Dust or wash blinds and other internal window coverings
Floors and carpets
- Vacuum all carpets and rugs, including edges and corners
- Sweep and mop hard floors throughout
- If you’ve lived there a year or more or had uncaged pets, book carpet steam cleaning or shampooing. Our guides on how often to get professional carpet cleaning and steam cleaning vs shampooing carpets explain your options
Final steps
- Remove all garbage, recycling, and belongings, including from storage lockers and balconies
- Do a last walkthrough with your move in condition report in hand
- Take dated photos of every room once cleaning is finished
Did You Know? According to the Province of British Columbia, once you give your landlord your forwarding address in writing, they have 15 days to return your deposit if there are no issues. If a landlord doesn’t act within that time, a tenant can apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch, and the landlord may be ordered to pay double the deposit. But the same rules work both ways: if you skip the landlord’s move out condition inspection, you may lose the right to have your damage or pet deposit returned.
READ MORE: When Should You Book Move In vs Move Out Cleaning? A Renter’s Timeline
DIY or Professional Move Out Cleaning?
Do it yourself if you have the time and the unit is in good shape. A small, well kept apartment can be handled with this checklist and a full day set aside before your inspection.
Hire professionals if time is tight or the job is big. Moving day leaves little energy for scrubbing ovens. Our cost vs time breakdown can help you decide, and our guide to the deep cleaning vs standard cleaning price difference in Canada explains why move out cleans are priced as detailed jobs.
Choose a cleaner you can count on. A missed or rushed clean right before your inspection is hard to recover from. Our comparison of cleaning companies and independent cleaners covers what to check before you book.
Time it right. Book the clean for the day before or the morning of your inspection, after all your belongings are out. Our move in vs move out timeline walks through the best order.
Moving out soon and short on time? Get a free move out cleaning quote from Sweepy Maids and let our team work through the checklist for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a professional move out clean guarantee I get my full deposit back?
No one can guarantee that, because landlords can also make claims for damage beyond reasonable wear and tear. A thorough clean makes sure cleanliness isn’t the reason money is deducted.
Do I have to clean the carpets when I move out in BC?
BC’s tenancy guideline says tenants will generally be held responsible for steam cleaning or shampooing carpets after a tenancy of one year, and may be expected to clean them if they or another occupant had pets that weren’t caged. Check your tenancy agreement as well.
Do I need to fill nail holes before moving out?
Not always. BC’s guideline says nail holes are not considered damage if you followed the landlord’s reasonable instructions for hanging items, and in that case you aren’t responsible for filling them.
What should I do after my new place is set up?
Once you’ve moved in, a regular cleaning schedule keeps your new home in good shape and makes your next move out easier. Our guide to recurring vs one time cleaning service and our breakdown of the average cost of weekly house cleaning in Calgary can help you plan.
I’m a landlord or host. What cleaning do I need between occupants?
Long term rentals usually need a full clean between tenants, while short term rentals need a quick turnover after every stay. See our complete guide to booking Airbnb cleaning and our breakdown of Airbnb turnover cleaning costs in Surrey and Kelowna. For commercial leases, see how often a commercial office should be cleaned and our guide to in house janitorial vs outsourced commercial cleaning.
About the Author
Parth Katyal is the founder of Sweepy Maids and a cleaning industry specialist with more than 10 years of experience serving Canadian homeowners and renters. Sweepy Maids started in Surrey, BC and now operates across Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island, Kelowna, Calgary, Brampton, Edmonton, and Montreal, including our Vancity Newton branch. Parth’s focus on eco friendly products, bonded and background checked staff, and transparent pricing shapes how Sweepy Maids approaches every home it cleans.