If you’re a conscientious tenant, you’ll want to ensure that your apartment is as clean and tidy as it can possibly be before you vacate the property and move to another one. In many instances, the return of a security deposit is dependent on the state of the apartment at the time of vacation. If the standards outlined in the tenancy inspection agreement signed by both parties are not met at the time of departure, you run the very real risk of never getting your deposit back.
To make sure the handover of keys goes smoothly and you get your security deposit back in full, follow these 5 steps when cleaning your apartment:
- Follow the move-out cleaning inspection guidelines strictly
As mentioned above, if you’ve been given an inspection sheet to adhere to before being given your security deposit back, it’s important that you stick to the requirements given.
While some landlords may request that you have the place professionally cleaned, others may simply ask that you clean the place to the required standard yourself. If your landlord hasn’t made any special requirements, it might be worth asking them for a brief outline of what standards are acceptable to them, so that you clean the apartment to the appropriate level and guarantee the return of your deposit, in full.
- Start at the top and work your way down
Starting at the top of a room when you’re cleaning, prevents you from having to clean surfaces and items at floor level, twice. Concentrate on ceiling fans and the tops of cabinets and closets first, before working your way down to make shorter work of the task.
- Clean absolutely everything
Cleaning every room from top to bottom is the safest way to ensure that your landlord has nothing to complain about when you move out. However, this can be time consuming, and many apartment tenants choose to hire a professional cleaning service to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
Guarantee the return of your security deposit by hiring a cleaning service.
- Repair damaged items not belonging to you
While cleaning the apartment is a great way to help you get your security deposit back and garner a positive recommendation from your landlord when searching for a new place to live, you must also repair anything that got damaged during your tenancy, whether unintentionally or otherwise. Fix small holes, broken blinds or cracked tiles and don’t give your landlord any reason to withhold your deposit.
- Hire a cleaning service
Costing less than your security deposit no doubt, hiring a cleaning service to get the apartment back to its original condition, is often the quickest way to get the job done and get you your security deposit back. Many tenants simply don’t have the time to clean the entire apartment from top to bottom before they vacate it, and with cleaning services available for all budgets, you’ll easily find a local company who will get the place shipshape for you, in next to no time.
To ensure the thorough cleaning of your apartment before you vacate it, and to make sure your landlord has no valid reason for withholding your security deposit, hire a cleaning service who specialize in move-out cleaning.