Move-Out Cleaning Checklist for Niagara Tenants
A room-by-room checklist to get your deposit back in St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, Niagara Falls and across Niagara. Print it, tick it off, or share it with your tenants.
Kitchen
- ☐ Inside fridge and freezer, shelves and drawers out and washed
- ☐ Inside oven, racks and door glass
- ☐ Stovetop, knobs and range hood filter
- ☐ Inside and outside every cabinet and drawer
- ☐ Dishwasher filter, door edges and seals
- ☐ Microwave inside and out
- ☐ Sink, faucet and drain
- ☐ Backsplash, counters and outlet covers
- ☐ Floor, including under the fridge and stove if movable
Bathrooms
- ☐ Toilet inside, outside, base and behind
- ☐ Tub, shower, tile and grout, soap scum removed
- ☐ Glass door and tracks
- ☐ Vanity inside and out, drawers wiped
- ☐ Mirror and medicine cabinet
- ☐ Exhaust fan cover dusted
- ☐ Towel bars and toilet paper holder
- ☐ Floor and baseboards
Bedrooms & living areas
- ☐ Closet shelves, rods and floor
- ☐ Baseboards and door frames
- ☐ Doors, handles and light switches
- ☐ Window sills and tracks
- ☐ Blinds dusted
- ☐ Light fixtures and ceiling fans
- ☐ Vents and returns
- ☐ Carpets vacuumed, hard floors washed
- ☐ Nail holes and wall marks noted for the landlord
Entry, laundry & storage
- ☐ Washer and dryer inside, lint trap, behind if movable
- ☐ Laundry sink
- ☐ Front closet
- ☐ Storage locker or shed emptied
- ☐ Balcony or patio swept
- ☐ Garage swept if included in the lease
Before you hand back the keys
- ☐ All garbage and personal items removed
- ☐ Light bulbs working
- ☐ Take date-stamped photos of every room
- ☐ Return all keys, fobs and remotes
- ☐ Give the landlord your forwarding address
- ☐ Book your final walkthrough
Landlords, realtors and property managers: you are welcome to share this checklist with tenants. Link to vipcleaningsquad.ca/move-out-cleaning-checklist.
Short on time? Our move-out cleaning service does the whole list, and property managers can book unit turnovers through our property management cleaning page.
Frequently asked questions
What does a landlord check at move-out in Ontario?
Most landlords look at the kitchen appliances, bathrooms, floors, walls and closets, and compare them with the condition at move-in. Clean everything on this checklist and take date-stamped photos.
How long does a move-out clean take?
A 1–2 bedroom apartment usually takes 3–5 hours to clean properly. A full house can take a day.
Can I hire someone to do the whole checklist?
Yes. Our move-out cleaning covers this checklist in St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, Niagara Falls and across Niagara, from $180.
Can landlords and property managers share this checklist?
Yes. Print it, link to it or hand it to tenants. Please link back to this page.
Want us to do the whole list?
Move-out cleaning from $180 across Niagara. Instant online quote.
12% off your first clean · Up to 10% off recurring plans